ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court has once again issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Ali Amin Gandapur, the former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in connection with an audio leak case. The arrest order follows his continued absence from court proceedings. The court has directed the police to arrest Gandapur and present him before the judge. The hearing was presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Nasr Minallah Baloch.
The proceedings for the framing of charges were postponed until January 20 due to Gandapur’s failure to attend. A suspect, named alongside Gandapur in the case, appeared in court, but the absence of the former CM delayed the process.
The case stems from an audio leak in which Gandapur is allegedly heard inquiring about the number of weapons, licenses, and people involved. The Golra Police Station registered the case after the leak came to light.
This latest development adds to the ongoing legal troubles of the firebrand PTI leader, who was recently removed from his position as KP’s chief minister. In September, the same court issued an arrest warrant for Gandapur in relation to this case.
In addition to this case, multiple non-bailable arrest warrants have been issued against the former CM in various other matters. For instance, on November 17, a judicial magistrate issued a warrant in connection with a liquor and arms recovery case. Despite repeated summons, Gandapur failed to appear before the court. The case, which dates back to October 2016, involves the recovery of five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, three teargas shells, and bottles of alcohol from Gandapur’s car.
Gandapur, who served as a provincial minister at the time, has denied the allegations, asserting that the weapons were licensed and that the bottle described as alcohol actually contained honey. The case has been ongoing for nearly nine years, with proceedings often stalled due to his absence from hearings.
