PHC stays arrest of CM Gandapur in all cases

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday stayed the arrest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in all the cases registered against him.

A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Shahid Khan while hearing a writ petition against the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants by a court in Islamabad directed the police not to arrest the KP CM till September 21 in a case registered at the Bara Kahu Police Station.

Ali Zaman and Alam Khan Adinzai, counsels for the petitioner, informed the court that their client, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, had obtained bail in over 100 cases but a court in Islamabad had issued non-bailable arrest warrants in a case related to recovery of liquor and weapons. They pleaded their client had filed an application for exemption to appear in the court, but it was rejected and non-bailable arrest warrants were issued for their client.

They also pleaded that there would be a meeting of the party on September 8. They requested the bench that the chief minister wanted to appear in the courts and until then the relevant quarters should be directed not to arrest the petitioner. The bench granted bail in other cases, including in non-bailable arrest warrants case of the chief minister, and directed the petitioner to appear in the relevant courts and asked the police not to arrest him.

Meanwhile, Islamabad court Civil Judge Shaista Khan Kundi has suspended the non-bailable arrest warrants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the case pertaining to arms and liquor recovery. The court has adjourned the hearing till September 21.

On the other hand, a Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench comprising Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Shahid Khan granted transitory bail to Gandapur on Friday and directed him to appear before relevant courts.