A judicial magistrate in Islamabad ordered the arrest of the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, after having rejected his request requesting the exemption from personal appearance in a long-standing case relating to the resumption of alcohol and illegal weapons, said Express News reported on Saturday.
The judicial magistrate Mubashhir Hassan Chishti published non -editors arrest mandates for the chief minister and ordered the officer of the Post Chamber (SHO) concerning his production in court. An opinion was also brought to the SHO for immediate compliance.
The case dates back to October 2016, when Islamabad police said they had recovered five Kalashnikov assault rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol and three tear gas bus shells from a vehicle belonging to the Bani Pakistan gala.
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Gandapur, however, has always denied police allegations. He said he had traveled with two approved Kalashnikov rifles and argued that a valid weapon license was present in the vehicle. Regarding the alleged recovery of alcohol, he said that the bottle in question contained honey, not alcohol.
During the hearing on Friday, the magistrate observed that the case remained unanswered for almost eight years. The accusation completed the registration of witnesses declarations in May 2024, but the accused did not record his declaration under article 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The court noted that he had provided the accused’s opportunity and warned that a verdict could be announced even in his absence if he cannot appear at the next hearing. “No other compensation will be granted if the declaration is not recorded by July 21,” said the magistrate in his written order.
The court also noted that the order for release under bond of the High Court of Peshawar had not mentioned this case and does not prevent this court from issuing arrest mandates. The hearing was adjourned until July 21.
