The District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
According to court sources, the warrants have been issued in a case that involves allegations of making misleading allegations against state institutions and tarnishing their reputation. The warrants were issued by the District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, where further hearing and legal proceedings of the case are expected in the next phase.
After the court’s decision, the case has gained attention in political and legal circles. The case against Sohail Afridi was registered at the Margalla or Kohsar police station in Islamabad, based on his recent speeches and statements that he gave during political rallies in Peshawar and Islamabad.
He is accused of using inflammatory language against state institutions (security agencies and judiciary) and trying to incite the public against the institutions.The District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, had summoned Sohail Afridi several times in this case. The court is of the view that the accused has been continuously absent from the hearings and has been filing applications for exemption from attendance.
In today’s hearing, the judge remarked that the law is equal for all, and despite repeated concessions, it has become inevitable to issue a non-bailable warrant for the accused’s non-appearance.
The legal action is being seen as a continuation of the ongoing intense political tension between the federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Sohail Afridi, a key leader of the opposition party, has a hardline stance on federal policies and Islamabad’s withholding of provincial funds. His supporters claim that these warrants are part of political victimization.
Over the past few weeks, Sohail Afridi has held several press conferences on the law and order situation and administrative matters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which he directly criticized the ruling circles. According to legal experts, his statements were categorized as “affecting the state’s reputation”, which was the main reason for these warrants.
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