A District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the liquor and arms recovery case, directing authorities to produce him before the court on September 17.
Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti issued the warrant after neither the accused nor his legal team appeared during the proceedings.
The court instructed that Gandapur be arrested and presented at the next hearing.
Shortly afterward, Gandapur’s lawyer, Raja Zahoor-ul-Hassan, appeared and requested suspension of the warrant. He argued that media coverage of the arrest order had already caused serious repercussions for his client.
However, the magistrate rejected the plea, making it clear that the warrant would only be withdrawn once the accused was produced in court.
Case background
The liquor and arms recovery case against Gandapur was registered at Islamabad’s Bhara Kahu police station. The matter has lingered in court for several months.
Earlier, on July 19, the District and Sessions Court had also issued an arrest warrant in the same case, underscoring the court’s repeated demand for his presence.
During the hearing, the magistrate remarked that had any representative or junior lawyer appeared earlier to seek a new date, the court would have granted it. However, in the complete absence of representation, the court was compelled to issue the arrest warrant.
The court has fixed September 17, 2025, as the date for Gandapur’s appearance. Until then, law enforcement authorities have been directed to ensure compliance with the order.
