Court issues stay order in FIR against Achakzai while hearing petition filed by PkMAP chief
A photo of opposition leader and chairman of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai. SCREEN GRAB
The Balochistan High Court on Thursday suspended all legal proceedings regarding a First Information Report (FIR) registered against senior opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai over alleged seditious remarks.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kamran Khan Malakhail and Justice Gul Hassan Tareen issued the stay order while hearing a petition filed by the chairman of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) seeking dismissal of the case.
During the arguments, Chief Justice Malakhail raised questions regarding the legal course taken by the petitioner. He noted that since Achakzai was an elected member of the National Assembly and enjoyed parliamentary immunity, the matter should have been raised in Parliament.
The chief justice also asked why the petitioner had not approached the relevant court before moving the high court.
In response, the defense lawyer representing the veteran politician presented detailed arguments outlining the political and legal merits of the petition and argued that the case lacked a proper legal foundation.
The case against the opposition leader was initially registered following a complaint filed by an individual. After hearing the opening arguments of the defence, the bench issued formal notices to the state and ordered a complete halt to any police or judicial proceedings arising out of the case till the next scheduled hearing.
