Opposition leaders seek release of detained KP chief minister from court
National Assembly and Senate opposition leaders approached the Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad on Saturday to secure the immediate release of Sohail Afridi and other detained lawmakers.
Petition filed for detained officials
Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas jointly submitted a petition before the FCC. They sought the enforcement of fundamental rights against the alleged unlawful arrest of Sohail Afridi. The non-functional Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister has not been seen since emergency rules were imposed on October 11. The request also includes six National Assembly members as well as eight other elected members of the provincial assembly.
Court hearing scheduled for Monday
Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan will lead a two-member FCC bench in resuming appeal hearings on November 16. The petition lists federal secretaries of interior and defence as respondents alongside provincial police officials. PTI MNA Shandana Gulzar filed a separate petition on Thursday seeking similar relief for the detained group. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan also applied to be impleaded in the ongoing legal case regarding these arrests.
Constitutional arguments presented
The petition raised substantial questions concerning the supremacy of the Constitution and democratic mandate under specific articles. It requested disclosure of detention places and production of alleged detainees before the FCC judges. The government transferred powers to KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi while PTI asserts Afridi continues to serve.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- Dawn
- Business Recorder
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2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.