ISLAMABAD: A district sessions court of Islamabad on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for his continued non-appearance despite summons in a case pertaining to “misleading allegations” against state institutions and damaging their reputation.
During the hearing, the KP chief minister did not show up, to which Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Afridi and ordered his arrest and production in court on the next date of hearing on March 26.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a case against KP CM Afridi under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). Meanwhile, an Anti-Terrorism Court of the federal capital ordered the jail remand of 42 suspects arrested during protests held after the death of a global religious figure, while six others were discharged from the case.
The suspects were produced in the court of Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain after completion of their physical remand with police. The cases related to demonstrations that took place following the news of the religious leader’s death. The cases were registered under terrorism and other legal provisions at the Secretariat and Aabpara police stations.
During the proceedings, police presented a total of 48 suspects before the court and requested a four-day physical remand to continue the investigation. However, after reviewing the record and hearing the police request, the court decided to send 42 suspects to jail on judicial remand. The court also ordered discharging six suspects from the case after finding no grounds to keep them in custody at this stage. Later, the 42 suspects filed applications for post-arrest bail, to which the judge issued notices to the relevant authorities.
