Court Upholds Arrest Warrants Against CM Afridi
An Islamabad court has upheld the Afridi arrest warrants, keeping non-bailable warrants in force against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad maintained the warrants on Monday because Afridi had repeatedly failed to appear in court.
The court ordered his arrest and directed authorities to produce him before the court. Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman heard the case, which was registered against Afridi under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). The case involves allegations against state institutions.
The court adjourned further hearing until 15 November. The report of the hearing did not say whether Afridi was in court or in custody when the order was made.
Afridi arrest warrants: what the court decided
The Afridi arrest warrants are non-bailable, which means the court can have him taken into custody and produced before it rather than released on bail as a matter of course. The court kept the warrants in force because of his repeated absence from proceedings.
The order is a procedural step in the PECA case, not a finding on the allegations themselves. The case will return to court on 15 November, when the question of Afridi’s appearance will come up again.
Afridi is the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a province under governor’s rule since October. The warrants case runs alongside a wider political dispute over his position and custody, and the two tracks should not be confused.
The wider dispute over Afridi’s custody
The PTI’s political committee demanded the release of detained leaders and workers, particularly Sohail Afridi, in a statement on 2 November. The committee also denied factionalism within the party and warned members against violating party discipline.
Separately, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government said on 30 October that evidence was being gathered against Afridi over alleged corruption. The provincial government’s information adviser, Samar Haroon Bilour, said at that time that Afridi remained in protective custody while the probe continued.
Those claims concern his custody and a corruption probe. The Islamabad court order concerns his absence from a PECA case. The court report does not link the warrants to the corruption allegations.
Why the warrants matter now
The warrants put Afridi’s court appearances back at the centre of the dispute. A chief minister who does not appear in court can be produced by order, and the 15 November hearing will test whether that happens.
The case also sits in a crowded legal calendar for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The Peshawar High Court has already sought replies from the governor and the provincial assembly speaker over governor’s rule, as reported in the PHC governor’s rule case. The PTI’s own internal position was set out in its 2 November political committee statement, and the corruption probe was covered in the 30 October evidence report.
For readers following the province, the key dates are now clear. The warrants stand, the next hearing is on 15 November, and the court has directed that Afridi be produced before it.
What did the Islamabad court decide about Afridi?
It upheld non-bailable arrest warrants against him over his repeated absence from a PECA case, and ordered his arrest and production before the court.
Which law is the case registered under?
The case was registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and involves allegations against state institutions.
When is the next hearing in the Afridi warrants case?
The court adjourned further hearing until 15 November.
Is this the same as the corruption probe against Afridi?
No. The warrants concern absence from a PECA case. The corruption probe is a separate matter raised by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on 30 October.
Who is Sohail Afridi?
He is the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, elected from Bara in Khyber district, and the province has been under governor’s rule since October.
