Islamabad court issues warrants in default as Afridi prepares for Karachi visit on Jan 9
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREEN GRAB
An Islamabad court on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case involving alleged misleading statements against state institutions.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah of the District and Sessions Court, Islamabad, issued the orders after Afridi failed to appear before the court during the hearing.
The case concerns allegations that Afridi made misleading remarks against government institutions and damaged their credibility. The National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency registered the case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
Read: PTI moves the mobilization to the south
PECA is Pakistan’s primary legal framework dealing with cybercrime, data protection and electronic offences.
The court ordered the authorities to arrest Afridi and produce him before the court. The hearing was adjourned until January 17.
The development comes as Afridi prepares to take Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s street movement to Sindh. After a three-day visit to Punjab as part of the campaign, he sent a two-page protest letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Read more: Afridi writes to Maryam over ‘hostile treatment’
Afridi is scheduled to visit Karachi on January 9 as part of the next phase of the drive.
The PTI announced the nationwide street movement after the party’s founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in prison in the Toshakhana-II case. Imran Khan has directed Afridi to build momentum for a major show of force scheduled for February 8.
