On Monday, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court instructed the police to arrest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for his repeated failure to attend hearings in a case involving unlicensed weapons and liquor possession.
Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hasan, overseeing the case, expressed frustration over Gandapur’s non-compliance with court orders. The court was also informed that the investigating officer had not attended the session.
Additionally, the court noted that the SSP Operations had not submitted a compliance report on the non-bailable arrest warrant previously issued for Gandapur.
As a result, the hearing was postponed until January 21, with the court reaffirming its directive for law enforcement to execute the arrest warrant and ensure Gandapur’s appearance at the next hearing.
The case originates from an incident on October 31, 2016, when Gandapur was detained by Islamabad Police. Authorities discovered unlicensed firearms and liquor in his vehicle, which was parked outside then-PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s residence upon Gandapur’s arrival.
Gandapur, accompanied by over 300 PTI supporters, had arrived in a motorcade but was stopped by police at Banigala due to a Section 144 ban on gatherings. When Gandapur’s supporters refused to disperse, the police began arresting them, and tensions escalated.
According to reports, Gandapur fled into a nearby forest, and during a search of his vehicle, police recovered a sealed bottle of premium whisky, two submachine guns, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and two number plates. A man named Allah Nawaz, from Gandapur’s hometown, was found inside the vehicle holding a teargas gun.
While the police claim the weapons were unlicensed, Gandapur maintains they were licensed firearms belonging to his security team. He also disputes the police’s version, stating the whisky bottle contained honey, not alcohol.
