By Fazal Sher
Copyright brecorder
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Wednesday reissued arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a case related to the alleged possession of illegal weapons and liquor.
Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hussain Chishti issued warrants for Gandapur and ordered the police to arrest him and present him before the court by September 17.
The judge issued the order after no representative appeared on behalf of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister. The judge issued the order after no representative appeared on behalf of Ghandpur.
Later, Gandapur’s counsel, Raja Zahoorul Hassan, appeared before the court and pleaded the court to cancel the warrants. Sir, you have issued the arrest warrant at the start of his arguments, Hassan said.
The judge responded that if you produce the accused in court, I will cancel the warrants. Gandapur’s lawyer argued that the issue had now become public through media coverage.
To this, the judge replied, “What can I say to the media?” Even a junior lawyer could have come and requested a new date—I would’ve rescheduled the case, the judge said.
The court, after hearing arguments, rejected the plea to suspend the arrest warrants, keeping them in effect. The court adjourned the case until September 17.
The case was registered in October 2016, accusing Ghandpur of carrying illegal arms and liquor. According to police, five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bullet proof vest, alcohol, and three tear gas shells were recovered from his vehicle near Bani Gala.
Gandapur has denied the allegations, claiming the weapons were licensed and the liquor bottle allegedly found in his vehicle actually contained honey.
The case was registered under sections 143 (punishment for joining unlawful assembly), 144 (joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon), 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse) and 440 (mischief committed after preparation made causing death or hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Sections 13 (penalty for breaching sections 4, 5, 8 and 11), 20 (power to confiscate) and Section 65 of the Arms Ordinance, 1965.
Sections 4, 5, 8 and 11 of the ordinance deal with the prohibition of the unlicensed sale and repair of firearms, the prohibition of transporting them, the prohibition of being armed without a licence and the power to make rules as to licences.
It is pertinent to mention here that a similar arrest warrant was issued against Gandapur on July 19 for the same case. That warrant was later cancelled after he appeared in court on July 29.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
