An Islamabad court on Tuesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi in a case pertaining to misleading statements against state institutions and damage to their reputation.
The case was registered by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), 2016, following allegations that the chief minister made false and defamatory claims against state institutions.
During the hearing on Tuesday, presided over by Senior Civil Judge Abbas Shah, the court noted that CM Afridi had once again failed to appear despite being summoned multiple times.
Subsequently, the judge ordered his immediate arrest and directed law enforcement authorities to ensure his production before the court. The hearing was then adjourned till February 21.
This is not the first time the court has taken action over Afridi’s non-appearance. Last month, the same court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant after observing that the KP chief minister had repeatedly ignored court summons and remained absent without lawful justification.
At that time, the court had termed his conduct a deliberate attempt to evade the legal process and emphasised that he had been given multiple opportunities to appear and respond to the allegations.
The first information report (FIR) against CM Afridi was registered on November 9, 2025, following remarks he made during a media interaction outside Adiala Jail on November 6.
During the interaction, Afridi alleged that security forces in KP had brought dogs inside mosques and tied them there, an accusation that sparked widespread outrage and condemnation for allegedly violating the sanctity of holy places.
Following an inquiry conducted on November 8, authorities concluded that Afridi and others had “knowingly and deliberately, with mala fide intentions and ulterior motives,” made false, misleading, derogatory and intimidating statements against state institutions.
These remarks were allegedly recorded, disseminated, and widely propagated through social media platforms, including a video uploaded on the PTI’s YouTube channel.
The FIR stated that the video contained “offensive, profane, false, misleading and unfounded allegations” made with the intent to malign and defame state institutions, as well as harm their reputation and integrity.
Investigators further alleged that the content formed part of an organised campaign to undermine public trust in state institutions, incite unrest, promote racial hatred, and destabilise national security.
Afridi has also been accused of preparing, publishing, sharing and circulating fake and misleading content on social media with the intention to incite violence, create panic, fear, disorder and unrest among the public, and promote anti-state sentiments deemed harmful to Pakistan’s security, integrity and stability.