Islamabad court reissues non-bailable arrest warrant for KP CM Sohail Afridi

ISLAMABAD: A local court in the federal capital on Saturday once again reissued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Sohail Afridi after he failed to appear in a case concerning alleged derogatory remarks against state institutions.

The case was registered on November 9, 2025, by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016. Authorities allege that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister made false and defamatory statements targeting state institutions.

This marks the fourth time the court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the KP chief minister in the same matter, with two warrants issued in January and another on February 10.

Senior Civil Judge Muhammad Abbas Shah ordered the immediate arrest and production of CM Afridi, observing that he had consistently ignored multiple summons and remained absent without lawful justification.

The court adjourned the hearing until March 9.

During a previous hearing on January 28, the court had termed Afridi’s continued absence a deliberate attempt to evade legal proceedings, noting that he had been granted several opportunities to appear and respond to the allegations.

According to the first information report (FIR), the case arises from remarks allegedly made by CM Afridi during a media interaction outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

He was accused of alleging that security forces had brought dogs into mosques in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tied them there — a claim authorities described as false and offensive, alleging it violated the sanctity of religious places.

Following an inquiry conducted on November 8, investigators concluded that CM Afridi and others had “knowingly and deliberately, with mala fide intentions and ulterior motives,” made misleading and intimidating statements against state institutions.

The FIR states that the video in question contained “offensive, profane, false, misleading and unfounded allegations” intended to malign institutions and damage their reputation.

Investigators further alleged that the content formed part of an organised campaign to undermine public trust, incite unrest, promote racial hatred and destabilise national security.

The investigating team has also accused Afridi of preparing and circulating fabricated content on social media aimed at inciting violence, creating panic and promoting anti-state sentiments considered harmful to Pakistan’s security and stability.