Peshawar, Sep 15: An Islamabad anti-terrorism court has ordered the blocking of passports of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and 24 other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in connection with a case registered at a police station in the national capital.
Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain on Monday issued the order while allowing a request by the police and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to block the passports until further orders.
The order also covers senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, lawmakers Shahram Khan Tarakai, Shah Ahmad, Sher Ali Arbab, Muhammad Iqbal Afridi, Dr Amjad Ali, Junaid Akbar, Shahid Khattak, Zubair Wazir, Arshad Umarzai, Zar Alam, Mian Omar and Akhtar Khan, among others.
The court said the available record showed that the individuals have been named as accused in the case.
The investigating officer told the court that the accused could flee the country to evade legal proceedings and alleged that they were facing serious charges, including attacks on state institutions and promotion of terrorism.
The court noted that the accused had failed to appear before it and that those who had secured interim bail had also not yet joined the investigation.
It subsequently approved the police request and ordered the FIA to keep the passports blocked until further orders.
The order comes amid heightened political activity by the PTI, which has announced a nationwide protest for September 27.
Afridi, who is currently touring Punjab to mobilise support for the planned protest, separately alleged on Monday that Punjab Police had attempted to abduct him and later left him on the roadside after assaulting and mistreating him.
“Punjab Police will have to answer for this action. This is no joke,” Afridi said, describing the alleged treatment of a chief minister of one province by police of another province as “unacceptable”.
He demanded an explanation from the Punjab government over why he was allegedly left on the roadside and mistreated.
The PTI has in recent months remained engaged in political agitation against the central government, with its supporters and leaders facing multiple cases linked to protests and alleged violence against state institutions. ( PTI )
