PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan expressed disappointment over what he said were attempts by the federal government to impede workings of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission.

“Fighting corruption and having a strong independent institution for accountability has been a key commitment of the PTI to the people of Pakistan,” Imran Khan said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Peshawar High Court barred the KP Ehtesab Commission from arresting Awami National Party's (ANP) Senator Sitara Ayaz in a case pertaining to alleged misuse of authority and corrupt practices.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Irshad Qaisar and Justice Syed Afsar Shah had taken up the petition filed by Sitara Ayaz in which she requested the court to order the quashing of the KP Ehtesab Commission's proceedings against her.

Imran said when the PTI formed the government in KP, it had shown commitment to curb crimes and corruption in the province.

Also read: PHC stops KP Ehtesab Commission from arresting Senator Sitara Ayaz

The provincial Ehtesab Commission, which was supported by all parties in the KP Assembly, took two years to form.

“Now these parties are trying to resist the steps it is taking because they were not prepared for substantive accountability,” added Imran.

He asserted that a PTI's minister and a PTI lawmaker's father were the first to be arrested by the commission.

Unfortunately, Imran said, the federal government is making it difficult for the KP Ehtesab Commission to arrest criminals hiding in Islamabad.

Imran believed that this was a clear effort to allow those guilty of corrupt practices to escape accountability as it had become a practice to opt for reconciliation rather than exposing corruption.

"We are determined to counter the efforts aimed at preventing us from arresting politicians of other political parties wanted by the KP Ehtesab Commission," Imran asserted.

We will hold everyone, who is guilty of corruption, accountable before the Ehtesab Law of KP, he added.

No one should have any doubts on this count as PTI's commitment to end corruption and punish those guilty of the same is unwavering, concluded Imran.

If arrested, Senator Sitara Ayaz, would be the first woman and the first ANP leader to be arrested by the commission.

The provincial accountability commission has so far arrested PTI lawmaker and ex-provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi, and ex-provincial minister Liaqat Shabab, who was also PPP’s provincial information secretary.