PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Friday granted protective bail to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur till Oct 25, directing the law enforcement agencies not to arrest him in cases registered against him in Islamabad and the Punjab province.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad directed the petitioner to approach the relevant courts by Oct 25.

Alam Khan Adenzai Advocate appeared for the petitioner and stated that he was falsely implicated in dozens of cases on political grounds.

He said that so far the petitioner had appeared in scores of cases across the country, especially in Islamabad and Punjab, and was granted pre-arrest bails in those cases.

Mr Gandapur’s counsel said that he was a law-abiding citizen and couldn’t even think of indulging in any illegal activity.

The bench inquired from the counsel what had happened when the court had earlier granted protective bail to the petitioner.

The counsel stated that the earlier bail was granted till Oct 5, which would expire on Saturday (today).

Mr Adenzai stated that the petitioner was going to Islamabad and he apprehended his arrest in any case so far not in his knowledge.

The lawyer argued that ever since the petitioner was elected as chief minister of the province, he had become a ‘target’ of political victimisation by the federal and Punjab governments.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024