Malik Waqar
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has barred authorities from arresting Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur until March 5, extending his protective bail.
A division bench, comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Salahuddin, heard the case on Gandapur’s plea for protective bail. However, the chief minister did not appear in court.
The judges noted that legal procedure required the petitioner’s presence. “We will grant a new date, but for protective bail, the applicant must appear in person,” the court observed.
Despite this, the court accepted Gandapur’s request for exemption and extended his bail, preventing his arrest until early March.
Additionally, the court sought details of all cases registered against the chief minister from the relevant authorities.
Last year, Lahore police had registered a case against Gandapur under 13 charges, including sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), for inciting violence near the Sialkot Interchange.
The incident occurred while he was traveling to Lahore for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) September 21 rally, which the government dismissed as a failure.
The PTI gathering in Lahore was abruptly cut short when police intervened, shutting off the stage’s microphone and lights, prompting PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other leaders to leave.
Authorities acted after the rally exceeded the 6pm deadline set in the no-objection certificate (NOC).
Gandapur, leading a convoy from KP, missed the deadline but eventually arrived at the venue, addressing supporters briefly. His convoy allegedly included Rescue 1122 ambulances and heavy equipment to clear any roadblocks.
Later, videos circulating online showed the KP chief minister smashing a truck’s window with a rifle.
Following the incident, an FIR was lodged at Manawa Police Station, charging Gandapur with multiple offenses, including attempted murder.
According to the FIR, he led an armed group at the Sialkot Interchange, with the mob allegedly attempting to torch vehicles at the toll plaza under his instructions.
