PHC Grants PTI Leaders Final Chance in Bail Pleas

News Desk

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has granted a final opportunity to legal counsel representing 27 senior leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and top lawmakers, to present arguments seeking protective bail and comprehensive disclosures of pending legal cases registered against them.

A three-member larger bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar, and Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan firmly adjourned proceedings until October 20, cautioning defense lawyers to appear fully prepared as no further extensions will be entertained.

The extensive list of petitioners spans prominent political figures, including former provincial chief minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, MNAs Sheikh Waqas Akram, Shandana Gulzar, Faisal Amin Gandapur,

Naseem Shah, Yousaf Khan, and Shahid Khattak, alongside Senators Mashal Azam and Khurram Zeeshan, provincial minister Dr Amjad Ali, former federal minister Noorul Haq Qadri, and senior legal counsel Naeem Haider Panjotha.

The protracted legal battle underscores the deepening friction between PTI leadership and federal law enforcement agencies, with dozens of party figures contending with a barrage of undisclosed first information reports (FIRs) filed across multiple jurisdictions.

The petitioners have sought blanket judicial protection and official clarity regarding the scope of federal investigations to preempt potential arrests, particularly following the court’s earlier decision granting an application by Islamabad’s chief commissioner to refer the complex multi-jurisdictional matters to a larger judicial bench.

With the bench drawing a definitive procedural line, the impending October 20 hearing is set to determine the legal viability of protective relief for the province’s governing echelon.

Legal observers note that the court’s forthcoming ruling will establish critical precedent regarding the constitutional safeguards available to political functionaries facing multi-district prosecutions, directly influencing provincial governance and ongoing political stability across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.