Islamabad Judicial Magistrate Remands PTI Leader Ali Amin Gandapur into Police Custody in Terrorism Case
On April 9, 2023, Ali Amin Gandapur, a former federal minister and central leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was remanded into police custody for a day by an Islamabad judicial magistrate in a terrorism case related to threatening the government and national institutions. Gandapur was arrested on Thursday night outside the building of the Peshawar High Court's Dera Ismail Khan bench on charges of two criminal cases registered against him by the D.I. Khan police. On Saturday, the Islamabad and Punjab police from Bhakar reached Dera Ismail Khan and took the PTI leader to Islamabad.
The charges against Gandapur stem from an audio clip that was leaked in which he allegedly used derogatory language against the federal coalition. The first information report (FIR) registered against Gandapur mentions the audio leak and alleges that he threatened the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and said that his supporters would take over Islamabad. The FIR also invoked sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), 122 (collecting arms, etc., with intention of waging war against Pakistan), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 16 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance.
During the hearing, the government lawyer read out the charges against Gandapur, stating that his remarks had created fear among the institutions and that the charges against him were very serious. Gandapur's lawyer, Babar Awan, argued that the accusations against Gandapur were baseless and questioned the veracity of the audio clip attributed to him. He further contended that Gandapur should not be remanded in police custody for more than 24 hours.
The judge ultimately remanded Gandapur into police custody for a day and instructed the police to present him before the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday. It is important to note that the case falls under the jurisdiction of the anti-terrorism court and not the judicial magistrate.
This incident highlights the importance of maintaining respect for the rule of law and the institutions of the state. All individuals, regardless of their status or position, should be held accountable for their actions, and due process should be followed in accordance with the law. It is hoped that this case will be resolved in a fair and transparent manner, upholding the principles of justice and the rule of law in Pakistan.
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