ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur in a 2016 liquor and weapons recovery case, citing his continued absence from hearings.
Senior Civil Judge Mubashir Hassan Chishti presided over the proceedings and directed that Gandapur be arrested and produced before the court after he once again failed to appear. The hearing was adjourned until October 28.
The case dates back to October 30, 2016, when Islamabad police claimed they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, bottles of liquor, and three tear gas shells from Gandapur’s vehicle near Bani Gala, the residence of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
The alleged recovery occurred as authorities attempted to stop PTI workers from reaching Bani Gala following Imran Khan’s call for a protest aimed at “locking down” the federal capital on November 2, 2016.
At the time, Gandapur, who was serving as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s revenue minister, rejected the police allegations, insisting that two of the rifles were licensed while the others were official weapons assigned to his security guards. He further claimed that the liquor bottles were filled with honey, not alcohol, and that the tear gas launcher did not belong to him.
Following the incident, a case was registered against him at Bhara Kahu police station under sections related to possession of illegal arms and contraband.
This is not the first time the court has ordered Gandapur’s arrest in the case. Similar warrants have been issued repeatedly over his failure to attend hearings, including on September 4, 2024, October 5, 2024, July 19, 2025, and September 10, 2025.
The PTI leader, who remains an influential figure in the party, has yet to comment on the latest court order. Gandapur, known for his fiery speeches and close association with Imran Khan, served as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister after the 2024 general elections before the provincial assembly’s dissolution earlier this year.
The Islamabad court has ordered law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with the latest warrant before the next hearing.
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