By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Monday issued non-bailable warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case linked to the defamation of state institutions.
The order was issued by a district and sessions court after Afridi failed to appear despite repeated notices. The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). The agency accused the chief minister of making misleading allegations and harming the reputation of state institutions.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah presided over the hearing and directed authorities to arrest and produce Afridi in court. The proceedings were adjourned, with the next hearing scheduled for February 21. This marks the second time the district and sessions court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the KP chief executive, after a similar order was issued last month.
The development adds to Afridi’s legal challenges. Earlier this month, reports from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Nadra linked video evidence of the May 9 riots to him, prompting the court to seek a full report on February 14. The May 9, 2023, events refer to riots that erupted following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan outside the Islamabad High Court over a graft case.
During the protests, several civil and military installations across the country were targeted. Separately, Afridi addressed a convocation at the University of Engineering Technology (UET) in Peshawar, saying he was prepared to speak to anyone in the interest of the province.
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