Court suspends arrest warrants for Mahmood Khan Achakzai

A local court in Quetta on Saturday suspended the arrest warrants issued for Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, and barred the police from arresting him until the next hearing of the case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

A case under Sections 448 and 447 had been lodged against Achakzai at Gowalmandi Police Station.

A judicial magistrate on Friday had issued arrest warrants for Achakzai, but a local court today suspended the warrants and adjourned the case hearing until May 31.

Lawyers boycott court proceedings

Earlier on Saturday, on the appeal of Balochistan Bar Council and Balochistan High Court Bar, lawyers in the province did not appear in the courts to register their protest against the arrest warrant issued for the PMAP chairman on Friday for allegedly obstructing government operations.

Talking to the media, members of the legal fraternity said Achakzai was being taught a lesson for struggling for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution in the country.

They demanded that the warrant issued for the arrest of the PMAP chairman be suspended.

A judicial magistrate of Quetta had on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Achakzai for allegedly obstructing government operations.  

The development came a day after he chaired a meeting of the newly formed alliance of opposition parties—Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain, in Islamabad.

A month ago, police in Quetta raided the home of Achakzai, who was the opposition parties’ nominee in the presidential elections, prompting the veteran politician to vow to launch protests over the government’s crackdown against political opponents. 

Reporter: Essa Tarin