Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over his repeated failure to appear in a case related to alleged misleading statements against state institutions.
Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah issued the warrant after Afridi did not attend the hearing despite being summoned by the court.
Taking notice of his continuous nonappearance, the court ordered his arrest and production before the court and adjourned further proceedings until February 10.
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), accusing the chief minister of making statements that allegedly harmed the reputation of state institutions.
Apart from this case, Afridi is also facing proceedings in an anti-terrorism court over his alleged role in the November 26 protest in Islamabad.
He is further facing a case before the Election Commission of Pakistan over an alleged violation of the code of conduct during a recent National Assembly by-election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In a separate development, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has recently come under strong criticism from the federal government over his remarks related to terrorism and Afghanistan.
His statements questioning claims about the use of Afghan soil for attacks in Pakistan triggered sharp reactions from several ministers.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry accused the KP chief minister of undermining the national narrative and spreading confusion on a sensitive national security issue.
Federal ministers said such statements hurt the families of martyrs and ignored the sacrifices made by security forces, warning that any narrative seen as creating doubt on terrorism would not be tolerated.
Read more: How to Apply for Maryam Nawaz Parwaaz Card: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
