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1>DRAFT: PHC stays arrest of KP deputy speaker, orders official residence de-sealed
- Suggested slug: phc-stays-arrest-kp-deputy-speaker-deseals-residence
- Category: National News
- Focus keyphrase: KP Assembly deputy speaker
- SEO title: PHC Stays Arrest of KP Deputy Speaker, Orders De-sealing
- Meta description: PHC barred police from arresting KP Assembly Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi under 3-MPO and suspended the notification sealing her official residence.
- Tags: Peshawar High Court, Suraiya Bibi, KP Assembly, governor’s rule, 3-MPO, deputy speaker, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
- Original element: explainer context on the October 11 governor’s-rule arc (residence sealed October 14, vehicle FIR October 17) plus our own data point from prior coverage — the PHC’s earlier notices on the governor’s-rule petitions — with internal links
- Source: Tribune (21 Oct 2026, published 9:32 PM PKT); cross-verified with Dawn
- Story date: 21 October 2026
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PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday stopped police from arresting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Suraiya Bibi under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and suspended the official notification sealing her government residence.
A two-member bench of Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Muhammad Fahim Wali issued the orders while hearing a writ petition filed by the KP Assembly deputy speaker through her counsel, Advocate Yasar Khattak. The court also issued notices to the chief secretary, the inspector general of police and other officials, asking them to submit replies by the next hearing.
Khattak told the court that Bibi was allotted the official residence in 2024 in her capacity as deputy speaker. After the federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in the province on October 11, police raided the residence on October 14 and sealed the premises. The counsel described the action as illegal.
He argued that even during an emergency and governor’s rule, the deputy speaker’s official residence could not be sealed without meeting legal requirements. He asked the court to restrain her arrest under Section 3 of the MPO and to order the residence de-sealed, saying the moves amounted to political victimisation.
The lawyer added that the speaker and deputy speaker keep their constitutional offices until a new assembly takes shape.
After hearing the arguments, the bench stayed Bibi’s arrest under 3-MPO and suspended the sealing notification until further proceedings. A written order of the hearing is still awaited.
Why the KP Assembly deputy speaker case matters
The case sits at the centre of the legal fallout from the October 11 emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Within three days of the proclamation, the deputy speaker’s residence was raided and sealed. Days later, police registered a separate case against her for allegedly refusing to return an official vehicle belonging to the Upper Chitral district administration.
Her counsel relied on Section 20 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975. The provision entitles the deputy speaker to a fully furnished official residence in Peshawar for her entire tenure. Bibi was allotted the residence at Race Course Garden in Peshawar through a notification dated June 3, 2024.
The argument before the bench was straightforward. A constitutional office, the counsel said, cannot be stripped of its lawful privileges through executive action, even when the province is under governor’s rule.
What happens next for the KP Assembly deputy speaker
The court has sought replies from the chief secretary and the police chief before the next hearing. Until then, the sealing notification stands suspended and no arrest can be made under 3-MPO.
The order adds to a growing list of court interventions since the emergency. The Peshawar High Court has already issued notices on petitions challenging the governor’s rule itself, while the Supreme Court has separately pulled up KP’s prisons chief and a senior bureaucrat in another matter. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has publicly rejected the governor’s rule, alleging a minerals motive behind it, and the opposition has warned of street protests if the courts fail to act.
For now, the deputy speaker keeps both her residence and her liberty while the province’s constitutional crisis works its way through the courts.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the KP Assembly deputy speaker?
Suraiya Bibi is the deputy speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. She was elected from Upper Chitral and appointed to the office after the 2024 general elections.
Why was her residence sealed?
Police sealed her official residence on October 14, three days after the federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 11. Her counsel called the sealing illegal and politically motivated.
What did the Peshawar High Court order?
A two-member bench stayed her arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and suspended the notification sealing her residence, pending further proceedings.
What happens at the next hearing?
The court has directed the chief secretary, the inspector general of police and other officials to submit replies. The bench will hear the matter again after receiving them.
