Arrest warrants out for KP CM Afridi over ‘failure to appear’ in court

• Incarcerated former senator Ejaz Chaudhry moves SC against high court’s refusal to suspend his sentence
• Aleema questions allegations against Imran’s sisters over campaigning for his release

ISLAMABAD: A court in the capital issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday, after he repeatedly failed to appear despite being summoned several times in a case relating to alleged misleading statements and defamation of state institutions.

While issuing the order, Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah noted that the KP chief minister neither appeared in person, nor was he represented by counsel, despite being granted repeated opportunities.

Expressing displeasure over the accused’s continued absence, the judge observed that the court’s summons had not been complied with, and warned that if CM Afridi failed to appear on the next date of hearing, proceedings would be initiated to declare him a proclaimed offender under the relevant provisions of law.

The judge directed the authorities to execute the non-bailable arrest warrants and ensure the accused’s appearance at the next hearing on Sept 3.

According to the case record, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) registered the case against Sohail Afridi under the provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).

The case relates to allegations that the chief minister made misleading statements and defamatory remarks against state institutions through electronic media.

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Meanwhile, former senator and senior PTI leader Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Lahore High Court’s refusal to suspend the sentence handed down to him by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore.

The PTI leader, who is currently incarcerated in Lahore Kot Lakhpat prison, was convicted by an ATC for his alleged involvement in conspiracy meetings held at Zaman Park, Lahore, on May 5 and 9, 2023, which allegedly led to the violent events of May 9-10 that year.

On April 28, an LHC division bench dismissed his plea, holding that the constitutional jurisdiction of the high court under Article 199 could not be invoked as a substitute for the statutory power under Section 426 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which empowers an appellate court to suspend a sentence.

Filed through his counsel, Raja Abdul Qadeer, the petition asks to set aside the LHC order, suspend the execution of the sentence awarded to the petitioner by the trial court on Aug 11, 2025, and order his release on bail in the interests of justice.

The petition argued that the high court had passed a completely non-speaking order, which could not be sustained in the eyes of the law and must be set aside.

Chaudhry’s petition contended that his conviction rests on contested and arguably non-existent evidence, while the statutory appellate forum offers no interim relief because of Section 25(8) of the Anti-Terrorism Act. His continued custody pending a final hearing — which may take years — is precisely the kind of irreparable harm that the constitutional jurisdiction under Article 199 exists to prevent, the petition argued.

It further maintained that Ejaz Chaudhry was not nominated in the FIR under which he was arrested; rather, his name was added later through unverified supplementary statements. It also argued that no weapon, device or any incriminating material was ever recovered from him, while no evidence was produced to link him either to the occurrence or to the alleged conspiracy meetings.

The petition pointed out that the two conspiracy witnesses were themselves police officials who admitted under oath that they had gathered no corroborative material of any kind. It further recalled that the Islamabad High Court, while examining the petitioner’s social media activity contemporaneously with the events in question, had found no evidence of incitement, a finding that the trial court’s judgement failed to address.

‘Tortured in jail’

Separately, alleging that her brother was being “tortured in jail” and deprived of his basic rights, Aleema Khan on Tuesday claimed that people from across Pakistan would join the PTI’s upcoming march to press for his release.

Aleema Khan, who has visited Gilgit-Baltistan and KP to mobilise PTI workers and supporters for the march, said her brother would not be released unless public pressure was exerted. Speaking to reporters outside Adiala jail on Tuesday, she said it was strange that allegations were being levelled against the sisters for engaging in politics without realising that their brother was in jail.

“They have deprived Imran Khan of all his rights and have been torturing him. This time people will come from across Pakistan,” she claimed. Replying to a question about the possibility of being sentenced to imprisonment, Aleema Khan said she was not afraid of jail. She said the court had deferred its verdict and that the decision in her case was now expected on Aug 11.

She alleged that anyone could be arrested or kidnapped in Pakistan, claiming the courts had “become meaningless because they delivered judgements only after receiving orders”.

Noreen Niazi, another sister of the PTI founder, said the courts were helpless and wondered how judges could recite the Holy Quran and then deliver such decisions. She expressed confidence that Imran Khan would soon be released.

She said she had met her son, Barrister Hassan Niazi, last Thursday and that he was aware of what was happening to Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026 ...