ISLAMABAD: A municipal court in Islamabad on Thursday rejected decisions declaring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur a “proclaimed offender” in a case involving the possession of illicit arms and liquor.
In 2016, a trial court proclaimed Gandapur an absconder for escaping the law in a case brought against him at Barakahu Police Station following the recovery of five Kalashnikov guns, a pistol, six magazines, a bullet-proof vest, three teargas shells, and bottles of alcohol.
District and Sessions Court Judge Shahrukh Arjumand overturned the trial court’s decision on a review petition filed by Gandapur.
The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that Gandapur was unable to present in court due to his official duties as the new KP CM.He asked the court to exempt Gandapur from the proceedings for today.
According to the counsel, the trial court designated Gandapur a proclaimed absconder for repeatedly failing to appear in court. He claimed that Gandapur did not receive the court summons because the process server, who was in charge of delivering the legal paperwork, failed to comply.
Accepting the request, the sessions judge ordered the lawyer to produce Rs50,000 surety bonds on Gandapur’s behalf and present a local person as guarantor.
