ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court has once again issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case involving alleged defamation of state institutions.
The warrant was issued after the chief minister failed to appear before the court despite multiple notices. The case has been registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), accusing Afridi of spreading misleading allegations that damaged the reputation of state institutions.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah presided over the hearing and directed the relevant authorities to arrest and present the KP chief minister before the court. The hearing was subsequently adjourned, with February 21 fixed as the next date.
This marks the second time the court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Afridi, as a similar order was passed last month due to his continued absence from proceedings.
The development further compounds Afridi’s legal challenges. Earlier this month, reports submitted by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and NADRA reportedly linked video evidence from the May 9 riots case to the chief minister. The court has sought a complete report in the matter, scheduled to be reviewed on February 14.
The May 9, 2023 unrest followed the arrest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder from the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. During the protests, several civil and military installations across the country were attacked.
‘Ready to Talk for Provincial Interests’
Separately, addressing a convocation ceremony at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, Chief Minister Afridi said he was willing to engage with anyone if it served the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He stated that he would not allow the province to once again become a testing ground and clarified that while he would not seek personal favors, he was prepared to sit across the table with anyone for the sake of the province.
Speaking on the law and order situation, Afridi said he had held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and that a session of the Apex Committee had already taken place. He added that further meetings with security officials were planned, stressing that peace and stability were prerequisites for development.
The chief minister warned against imposing decisions behind closed doors through pressure, saying such tactics would not succeed. He urged institutions to respect their constitutional boundaries, noting that institutional interference had become a major obstacle to economic stability in Pakistan.
Afridi concluded by saying his government would no longer support policies that, in his view, had repeatedly harmed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the years.
