On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court approved Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s bail petition for transitory bail. This follows an Islamabad court’s issuance of a non-bailable arrest warrant related to a case involving arms and liquor recovery.
During the hearing, Justices Arshad Ali and Shahid Khan directed Gandapur to appear before the relevant courts. The petition, filed this morning, requested bail to allow Gandapur to attend court proceedings for the case.
The previous day, Civil Judge Shaista Khan Kundi had instructed the Barakahu station house officer (SHO) to arrest Gandapur and present him in court after the chief minister failed to appear despite multiple calls.
Gandapur’s lawyer, Raja Zahoorul Hasan, planned to submit a medical report citing Gandapur’s illness, while assistant Fatahullah Burki mentioned that floods hindered Gandapur’s court attendance. The case was then adjourned until today.
Barakahu police have received the arrest warrant and are directed to enforce it immediately. Gandapur’s lawyers were provided with a copy of the warrant, and Islamabad police have notified the CM House.
Gandapur’s petition challenges the judicial magistrate’s order and argues that a petition for his acquittal is already pending. He seeks to have the non-bailable arrest warrant overturned and a review of the court’s decision.
Background: In October 2016, a case was filed against Gandapur after the recovery of five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bullet-proof vest, three teargas shells, and bottles of alcohol. Gandapur, then a provincial minister, was charged under illegal arms and anti-drugs laws following the alleged recovery of illicit arms and liquor from his vehicle.
A local Islamabad court had previously declared Gandapur a “proclaimed offender.” However, on March 7 of this year, District and Sessions Court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand overturned this decision, noting Gandapur’s official duties as a reason for his absence. The court had also ordered Gandapur’s exemption from proceedings and a surety bond of Rs50,000. The case was remanded to the trial court, which was instructed to review its earlier orders.
