MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has issued arrest warrant for Ali Amin Gandapur – the PTI leader who is now nominated for the coveted slot of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister – and directed the officials concerned to present him on Feb 28.
It is a case related to violating the code of conduct defined for the AJK Legislative Assembly held in July 2021 after a complaint was filed over the issue. The AJK Election Commission, in this connection, has sent a letter to the Dera Ismail Khan deputy commissioner, directing to present the accused on the next hearing.
Gandapur was a federal cabinet member in the PTI government back then and held the portfolio of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan minister. That’s why he was assigned the task of running the election campaign in the state.
But his presence and some alleged actions meant to influence the electorate triggered a controversy, forcing the AJK Election Commission to order him leave the state.
During the election campaign, a video also went viral in which the security guards of Gandapur could be seen resorting to aerial firing. However, Gandapur and other PTI leaders had accused the PML-N supporters of attacking the convoy and described the aerial firing as an act of self-defence.
The arrest warrant comes after the police in Lahore relaunched their efforts of arresting those involved in the May 9 violence. Gandapur is one of the nominated persons along with Mian Aslam Iqbal and others who have been declared proclaimed offenders by an anti-terrorism court.
All these accused are those who won the Feb 8 elections as independents, but were backed by the PTI, with the authorities saying that a comprehensive plan has been put in place to track down and arrest the fugitives.
