The Anti-Terrorism Court of Islamabad has approved the pre-arrest bail request of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the judicial complex vandalism case, while the sessions court suspended his arrest warrants in the cases registered in Bani Gala and Golra police stations of Islamabad.
The ATC approved Gandapur's pre-arrest bail, granting him interim bail until April 17.
Gandapur's lawyer Raja Zahoorul Hassan told the court his client was named in the first information report (FIR), but he had no role in the vandalism incident, as he was not present on the scene. The lawyer further revealed that despite facing 50 FIRs, Gandapur was not even being allowed to reach the court.
Duty Judge Raja Jawad presided over the hearing, where the approval for pre-arrest bail was granted.
Warrants suspended
On the other hand, Gandapur surrendered himself before the sessions court in Islamabad, resulting in the cancellation of his arrest warrants issued in cases registered at Bani Gala and Golra police stations.
Gandapur appeared before Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah for the case registered at Bani Gala police stations, while Judicial Magistrate Abdul Ghafoor Kakar presided over the hearing in the case filed at Golra police station.
The defendant's lawyer. Raja Zahoorul Hasan, cited the chief minister's election engagements as the reason for his absence due to which his arrest warrant was issued.
Senior Civil Judge Qudratullah and Judicial Magistrate Abdul Ghafoor Kakar cancelled the warrants and adjourned the hearing to April 17. The cases against the KP CM pertained to incidents of protest and vandalism.
