ATC withdraws KP CM Gandapur's arrest warrants

• CM informs court he wasn't able to appear due to official duties.
• Case was registered against him at I-9 Police Station in capital.
• The matter pertains to violent protests and violation of Section 144.
  

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the federal capital withdrew arrest warrants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued in the case pertaining to violent protests and violation of Section 144.

Gandapur had filed a petition seeking suspension of the arrest warrant in the case registered against him at the I-9 Police Station in the federal capital. 

The KP CM surrendered before the court, saying that he could not attend the hearings earlier due to official engagements. 

On July 2, the court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Gandapur and other PTI leaders, warning that they would be declared proclaimed offenders if they continued to remain absent. 

Gandapur had filed a plea seeking exemption from attending the hearing, saying that he was out of the city. 

However, Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra had termed the reason as invalid. Gandapur's counsel had then requested the court for another opportunity, assuring his client would appear in the next hearing. 

Judge Sipra, however, issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the KP CM. He said that the warrant would review his decision if Gandapur appears in the next hearing. Once he appeared today, the judge withdrew the warrants.