ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case involving alleged misleading statements against the state institutions.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah issued the warrant after the chief minister failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons. Taking notice of his continued absence, the court ordered his immediate arrest and production, and adjourned further proceedings until February 10.
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), accusing the chief minister of making statements that allegedly harmed the reputation of state institutions.
Separately, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi Wednesday launched sharp criticism of federal policies and political opponents as he addressed separate convocation ceremonies at the Abbottabad University of Science and Technology (AUST) and University of Haripur to underline his government’s focus on education.
Addressing the AUST convocation, the CM alleged that decisions to remove the elected government of Imran Khan and to reintroduce instability in KP were taken behind closed doors.
Referring to recent developments in Tirah Valley of Khyber tribal district, he said residents were being forcibly displaced. Rejecting federal claims that displacement in Tirah was voluntary, the CM said that earlier such operations had been openly acknowledged in parliament and through press briefings but were now being denied. He alleged a lack of consultation with the provincial government on the issue, terming it another “closed-door decision”. Comparing economic performance, he said the GDP growth stood at 6.1 per cent during Imran Khan’s tenure, whereas it had now fallen to around 2.7-2.8 per cent. Concluding his address, the chief minister declared his loyalty to PTI founder Imran Khan and said he stood firmly with the people of the province. “I can neither be intimidated nor bought. I will stand like a rock,” he asserted.
Earlier, addressing the fifth convocation of the University of Haripur, he announced the establishment of a new tehsil campus in Ghazi, calling it a significant step towards expanding access to higher education in the province.
His address carried a strong political tone as he alleged that democratic forces in the country had been undermined. The chief minister claimed that the removal of Imran Khan as prime minister was the result of a foreign conspiracy, alleging that Khan’s independent foreign policy stance was unacceptable to certain external powers.
Referring again to Tirah Valley, he alleged that residents were being displaced during harsh winter conditions without financial assistance. He rejected claims by federal ministers that the migration was voluntary, calling such statements an insult to the affected population. “No one leaves their home by choice,” he said.
Meanwhile, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said on Wednesday that no military operation was being carried out in the Tirah Valley and that the federal government had no intention of launching one. Talking to journalists in Bara, the governor said the KP government had created unnecessary hype about an operation, forcing people to migrate from the area.
“There is no operation in Tirah, nor does the federal government intend to conduct one,” he said, adding that the provincial government should set its own house in order.The governor said he was in Bara to assess the ground realities. “Statements by the chief minister and other ruling party leaders created an impression that a military operation would soon be launched in Tirah, whereas the federal government had already clarified its position,” he explained. Kundi said “irresponsible” statements by the provincial government forced people of Tirah to migrate, claiming that nearly 60 per cent of the displacement occurred due to statements issued by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the provincial government. He advised the provincial government to sit with the federation to resolve issues, saying that the KP government was even willing to sit with enemies of the country but not with the Centre. The governor was in Bara tehsil of Khyber tribal district, where he attended a relief distribution ceremony for the affectees of Tirah Valley organised by the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) at Dogra.
