On suspicion of posing a threat to national institutions, Gandapur was taken into custody earlier this month. Additional District and Sessions Judge Sikandar Khan announced the decision and ordered the PTI leader to present two surety bonds totaling Rs. 0.3 million each.
Former federal minister Gandapur was taken into custody on April 6th in front of the Dera Ismail Khan Bench of the Peshawar High Court. He was apprehended by the Golra police and later turned over to the Bhakkar police.
The federal coalition was disparaged in the first information report (FIR) filed against him, and it was claimed that he threatened government officials and incited the populace against it.
Sher Afazl Khan, Gandapur’s attorney, argued during the hearing that his client had never incited a group against the state or incited the populace against the government.
He claimed that because such FIRs are registered by the state, the magistrate had no authority to file a complaint alleging mutiny against the PTI leader.
The city of Gandapur has previously been embroiled in legal disputes. On April 6, he was taken into custody by DI Khan police on suspicion of two criminal cases that had been filed against him. He was given a six-day judicial remand and taken to the main jail.
Islamabad police later took him into custody and remanded him into police custody for a day. On April 11th, he was remanded into police custody for two more days.
Punjab police were able to arrest Gandapur in another case filed in Bhakkar because his post-arrest bail request was rejected by the Islamabad district and sessions court on April 13. On a 14-day judicial remand, he was taken to Adiala Jail.
Bhakkar police were given a three-day physical remand to question the PTI leader on April 15 by an anti-terrorism court in Sargodha.
The legal disputes and accusations against Gandapur have stirred up Pakistan’s political system.
The PTI party, which has been criticised by opposition parties and the general public for the rising inflation and poor governance, is yet to see how this development will affect them.
The verdict of the court has provided a temporary respite to Gandapur, but the legal challenges against him are far from over.