PHC summons investigation officers in eight cases against Sher Afzal Marwat

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday summoned investigation officers along with the relevant record in eight cases registered in 2023 against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker and Member of the National Assembly Sher Afzal Khan Marwat.

A bench comprising Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Inamullah Khan issued the order while hearing eight nearly identical petitions filed by Marwat. In the petitions, he asked the court to quash multiple FIRs lodged against him at different police stations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, most of them during the period when he was mobilising PTI protests in the province.

The court also extended the pre-arrest bail earlier granted to Marwat until May 27, the next date fixed for hearing the petitions.

Marwat appeared before the court in person and said several cases had been registered against him without any meaningful progress. He told the bench that the cases were fabricated and politically motivated and requested the court to dismiss the FIRs.

He argued that the FIRs were of a similar nature but had been registered at different police stations. Referring to specific examples, he said a case was lodged in Dera Ismail Khan accusing him of making statements against institutions even though, according to him, he had not visited the area. He also said another FIR was registered against him in Dir for pillion riding, explaining that he had ridden a motorcycle there because of heavy traffic.

Marwat further told the court that cases were registered against him in Swabi and Pabbi in Nowshera merely for passing in front of police stations. He added that one case in Nowshera was lodged against him for leading a public rally.

Court seeks record and responses

The bench observed that it would seek responses from the parties concerned and that if nothing was proven against him on record, the cases would be quashed. The court directed investigation officers from Dera Ismail Khan and South Waziristan to appear through video link at the next hearing on May 27.

In most of the petitions, Marwat stated that the cases were registered against him for participating in and addressing workers’ conventions, which the government had claimed were held in violation of standard operating procedures framed by the provincial home department.

He contended that the FIRs were lodged during what he described as the targeting and victimisation of PTI leaders by the then government. He said the cases were registered after workers’ conventions held in Mardan, Dir, Swabi, Kohat, Nowshera and other districts in connection with the general elections and that holding and addressing a peaceful convention was his legal and constitutional right and was not a crime.

Remarks to media

Speaking to the media, Marwat expressed disappointment with the provincial government and said that when PTI formed the government in the province, 400 to 450 cases involving political figures were withdrawn, but his cases remained active.

In a sarcastic remark, he said the province, prosecution and police service were remarkable because they had not been able to produce evidence in his cases for two and a half years.

Responding to a question about the cancellation of a scheduled public rally in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Marwat said that Allah saved PTI’s honour as there had been no actual preparations for the event.