Arrest warrants out for KP CM Afridi over ‘failure to appear’ in court

ISLAMABAD: A court in the capital on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi after he did not appear despite being summoned multiple times in a case linked to alleged misleading statements and defamation of state institutions.

Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah said Afridi had neither appeared in person nor been represented by counsel, even after repeated chances were given, according to the monitored public feed from Dawn. The judge expressed concern over the continued absence and noted that the court’s summons had not been complied with.

The court warned that if Afridi again failed to appear on the next hearing date, proceedings could begin to have him declared a proclaimed offender under the relevant law. Authorities were directed to execute the arrest warrants and ensure his appearance at the next hearing on Sept 3.

The case, as described in the feed, was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. It concerns allegations that Afridi made misleading statements and defamatory remarks against state institutions through electronic media.

The same feed also reported a separate legal development involving former senator and senior PTI leader Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry, who has approached the Supreme Court after the Lahore High Court declined to suspend his sentence. Chaudhry is currently in Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore.

According to the feed, Chaudhry was convicted by an anti-terrorism court over his alleged role in conspiracy meetings held at Zaman Park on May 5 and 9, 2023, which were said to have preceded the violence of May 9-10 that year. His petition asks the Supreme Court to set aside the Lahore High Court’s order, suspend the sentence handed down on Aug 11, 2025, and release him on bail.

The petition argues that the high court gave a non-speaking order and that the conviction rests on disputed evidence. It also says he was not named in the original FIR, that no weapon or incriminating material was recovered from him, and that the evidence does not connect him to the alleged offences. The petition further says the two witnesses cited were police officials who did not produce corroborative material.

Separately, Aleema Khan, speaking outside Adiala jail on Tuesday, alleged that her brother Imran Khan was being “tortured in jail” and denied basic rights. She said people from across Pakistan would join the PTI’s planned march, which she said was aimed at pressing for his release. The feed also quoted her as questioning the allegations against Imran Khan’s sisters over their political activity on his behalf.

Another sister, Noreen Niazi, also criticised the courts and said she believed Imran Khan would soon be released.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributed to Dawn Home. Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017406/arrest-warrants-out-for-kp-cm-afridi-over-failure-to-appear-in-court