An Islamabad district and sessions court on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case involving alleged defamation of state institutions.
The warrants were issued after the chief minister failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons. The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, accusing Afridi of spreading misleading allegations and damaging the reputation of state institutions through electronic means.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah presided over the hearing and directed the relevant authorities to arrest and produce the chief minister before the court. Proceedings were later adjourned, with the next hearing scheduled for February 21.
This marks the second time the Islamabad court has issued non-bailable warrants against the KP chief minister, after a similar order was passed last month due to his non-appearance.
The development adds to Afridi’s mounting legal challenges. Earlier this month, the court sought a comprehensive report after forensic findings from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and NADRA reportedly linked video evidence from the May 9 riots to him.
The May 9, 2023 unrest erupted following the arrest of Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. During the protests, several civil and military installations across the country were attacked.
Separately, addressing a convocation ceremony at the University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Afridi said he was prepared to engage with all stakeholders when it came to the interests of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said he would not allow the province to once again become a “testing ground,” adding that while he would not pursue personal interests, he was willing to sit with political opponents for the sake of the province.
Commenting on the law and order situation, Afridi said he had met Shehbaz Sharif and that a meeting of the Apex Committee had also been convened. He said further engagements with security officials were planned, stressing that peace and stability were prerequisites for development.
Afridi warned against what he described as “closed-door decisions” imposed through pressure, and called on institutions to refrain from interfering in one another’s constitutional domains. He said institutional overreach had contributed significantly to Pakistan’s ongoing economic instability.
The chief minister said his government would no longer support policies he described as having caused long-term harm to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.