Ziaullah Afridi sent on judicial remand to Central Prison

PESHAWAR: The Ehtesab Court on Tuesday sent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s former provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi on judicial remand to the Central Prison Peshawar.
He was arrested by the Ehtesab Commission on charges of misuse of authority, unlawful appointments and illegal mining. Ehtesab Court judge Subhan Sher sent the former minister on judicial remand in two cases of facilitating illegal mining in Abbottabad and in another case for using his influence over the members of mining committee to process and give favours in the renewal of chromite mines lease in Tangi in Charsadda district to one Mohammad Ayaz Ziaullah Afridi got interim bail from the Peshawar High Court in the first case about the illegal mining in Nowshera and carrying out illegal appointments, posting and transfer. Dozens of his supporters returned disappointed from the Ehtesab Commission’s premises when he was not released and sent to the Central Prison Peshawar on judicial remand. They were expecting his release on bail. In the morning, the supporters of Ziaullah Afridi celebrated his bail decision outside the commission. He was brought to the Central Prison Peshawar in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) amid a tight security.
On the other hand, counsels for the minister also expressed concern over his judicial custody claiming that the cases were similar and the court had released him in all cases.
Additional Deputy Prosecutor General of the Commission Barrister Babar Irshad told The News that bail to the former minister was granted only in one case and he was sent on judicial remand to prison in the remaining two cases including illegal mining at one of the blocks of phosphate mines in Abbottabad and illegal mining in Tangi. A large numbers of his supporters as well as journalists were not permitted to enter the Federal Judicial Complex, where the Ehtesab courts are situated, as during some of the initial hearings the appearance of Ziaullah turned into source of embarrassment for the provincial government as well as Ehtesab Commission due to his continuous criticism of the two.