Daily Times

An Islamabad trial court on Thursday suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against Gandapur in a case pertaining to arms and liquor recovery.

Hearing the provincial chief executive’s plea, the trial court suspended the arrest warrant on “assurance” of Gandapur’s counsel.

Meanwhile, a Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench – comprising Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Shahid Khan – granted transitory bail to Gandapur and directed him to appear before the relevant courts. The bail petition was filed this morning wherein the provincial chief executive requested the high court to grant transitory bail so that he could appear in the relevant court in the said case.

A day earlier, Civil Judge Shaista Khan Kundi ordered the Barakahu station house officer (SHO) to arrest Gandapur and produce him before the court noting that the case had been called thrice since morning and the suspect still had not shown up. Representing the chief minister, lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hasan said he would submit a medical report about Gandapur as he was unwell. Whereas, the counsel’s assistant Fatahullah Burki said that the chief minister could not turn up before the court due to the situation of floods.

The court then adjourned the case till today.

Later, Barakahu police received the provincial chief executive’s arrest warrant with the court directing the SHO to ensure immediate compliance.

Providing a copy of the arrest warrant to Gandapur’s lawyers, Islamabad police said that the CM House had been informed as well in this regard.

The petition comes after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) firebrand leader moved a sessions court in the federal capital against the judicial magistrate’s order on Wednesday.

The plea argues that a petition for the CM’s acquittal is already pending and the orders issued by the judicial magistrate were against the law.

Gandapur urged the court to declare the non-bailable arrest warrant null and void and accept his request for review of the court’s decision.