PHC restrains ACE from action against ex-CM

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday restrained the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) from taking any action against former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan in a case lodged against him and asked the petitioner to file a fresh petition for the same.

The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Acting Chief Justice S M Attique Shah and Justice Ejaz Khan.Petitioner’s lawyer Sultan Muhammad Khan informed the court that the first information report (FIR) registered in 2018 against his client related to his tenure as chief minister was politically motivated.

He pleaded that Mahmood Khan, who is also head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians, had no prior knowledge of the FIR, and despite approaching the court and receiving interim relief, he later came to know that a formal FIR had been filed.

He said that this was political victimization, especially after his departure from PTI and the formation of a new political party.The lawyer also told the court that his client was served a notice by the ACE on September 3, 2024, regarding inquiry No. 45, who had responded to all the questions. Despite this, he said that harassment continued through other means.

He prayed the court that the ACE be restrained from further harassment.Advocate Ali Azim Afridi also appeared on behalf of another petitioner, Tariq Mehmood, and informed the court that a similar FIR cancellation petition had already been filed and a stay order granted. He prayed the court to allow Mahmood Khan to file a similar petition.

Upon this, the bench observed that the current petition be withdrawn and a new petition be filed specifically for the cancellation of the FIR.The court also directed the ACE to stop any proceedings against the petitioner and granted him 7 days to file a fresh petition.