Key Takeaways
- An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has initiated proclamation proceedings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI leader Junaid Akbar, and Abdul Ghani Afridi.
- The proceedings follow their continued failure to appear before the court despite non-bailable arrest warrants issued on June 23, 2026.
- The case stems from a protest held on November 26, 2024, which led to the registration of a criminal case at Margalla police station.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has initiated proclamation proceedings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI leader Junaid Akbar, and Abdul Ghani Afridi. The ATC judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, took up the case after receiving a progress report from the Islamabad police regarding an investigation into a first information report (FIR) registered at Margalla police station on November 26, 2024.
According to the report submitted by the Deputy Inspector General of the Islamabad police, the investigation has been completed. The court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Sohail Afridi, Junaid Akbar, and Abdul Ghani Afridi through an order dated June 23, 2026. Despite repeated efforts by the police to execute these warrants, the accused failed to appear before the court.
The Islamabad police informed the court that due to the continued non-compliance with the arrest warrants, proclamation proceedings had been initiated against the accused in accordance with the law. The report stated that once the proclamation process was completed, preparation of the challan under Section 173 (Report of police officer) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) would enter its final stage.
The investigating agency maintained that there had been no negligence or unnecessary delay in pursuing the arrest of the accused. It asserted that all legal steps required under the law had been taken to secure their appearance before the court. Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra formally initiated these proceedings against the three accused over their persistent absence despite the issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants.
The court adjourned further proceedings in the case until September 9, directing that the matter be taken up after completion of the remaining legal process and submission of the challan. The case stems from a protest held on November 26, 2024, which led to the registration of a criminal case at Margalla police station against Afridi and other protesters.
Law enforcement authorities had initiated an investigation into the matter but faced challenges in submitting the necessary challan due to the accused's non-appearance. The court’s scrutiny of these proceedings highlights the ongoing legal battle over the handling of the protest incident.
