Ex-KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur Faces Arrest in Liquor, Weapons Case

Islamabad: A district and sessions court in Islamabad has issued an arrest warrant for former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in a liquor and weapons recovery case after his continued absence from court proceedings.

Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan presided over the hearing and directed that Gandapur be arrested and presented before the court on November 11. The case hearing was adjourned until the same date.

The warrant was issued in connection with a case registered at Bara Kahu Police Station in Islamabad. This adds to the legal troubles of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, who was recently removed from his post as KP chief minister.

The same court had earlier issued a similar arrest warrant for Gandapur earlier this month, but he has repeatedly failed to appear before the court.

The case dates back to October 2016, when police claimed to have recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, three teargas shells, and bottles of alcohol from Gandapur’s car.

At the time, Gandapur was serving as a provincial minister in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was charged under illegal arms and anti-narcotics laws.

However, Gandapur has denied all allegations, insisting that the weapons were licensed and that the bottle described as alcohol contained honey.

The case has dragged on for nearly nine years, with hearings repeatedly delayed due to Gandapur’s non-appearance in court.