Court cancels arrest warrants issued for KP CM Gandapur

A court in Islamabad on Monday cancelled the arrest warrants issued for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the audio leak case and ordered him to show up at the next hearing. 

Gandapur’s lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hassan, who appeared in the court, filed an application for the cancellation of his client’s arrest warrants. 

During the hearing, Zahoor complained that the 24News TV channel correspondent reported early in the morning that warrants had been issued for Gandapur. “I could not turn up in the court due to the strike. But Hashir Warraich reported that warrants had been issued.”

Addressing the lawyer, Judge Nasrum Minallah Baloch remarked that it was natural that when he would not appear in the court, TV channels would air the news. “The lawyers are on strike, not the suspect. He has to show up,” he added.  

Zahoor reminded the judge that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) had barred the police from arresting the CM for three weeks in any case. 

The judge asked him to file an application so that he could give an order. 

Later, accepting the application, the court adjourned the case’s hearing until November 5.

A case had been registered against Gandapur at Golra police station of Islamabad.

Earlier in the day, the District and Sessions Court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the high-profile audio leak case, ordering police to arrest and produce him before the court.

The order was given by Additional District and Sessions Judge Nasr Minallah Baloch, after the court noted Gandapur’s continued absence from proceedings.

The audio leak case is registered at the Golra Police Station.

According to court documents, Gandapur’s co-accused appeared before the bench, but the Chief Minister failed to attend the hearing.

The court directed police to execute the non-bailable warrant and adjourned the proceedings until November 5.

In the audio leak case hearing held earlier on December 17, 2024, Additional Sessions Judge Abdul Ghafoor Kakar had also upheld Gandapur’s non-bailable arrest warrant when the accused and fellow respondent Asad Farooq failed to appear in court.

Their lawyer, Raja Zahoorul Hassan Advocate, represented them.

The case, which has stirred political and legal debate, centres on an alleged audio leak, with police investigations ongoing under the registered FIR.

Reporter: Hashir Warraich