The Peshawar High Court (PHC) was moved on Tuesday against the alleged abduction and illegal detention of Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, demanding their recovery. Two separate petitions were filed for the purpose.
Muhammad Aamir, brother of Sohail Afridi, filed the first petition. The petitioner sought the immediate recovery of the chief minister, his production before the court, and an independent and impartial investigation into the incident.
In the writ petition filed through his counsel, Bashir Wazir, the petitioner alleged that armed and masked men took away Sohail Afridi from the Chief Minister's House in the presence of the Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO). He said that no information had subsequently been provided about the chief minister's whereabouts, custody, or legal status.
The petition stated that depriving an elected chief executive of his liberty and allegedly keeping him in illegal detention constituted a serious violation of the Constitution, the law, and fundamental human rights. It expressed concerns over potential threats to the chief minister's life and safety.
The petitioner maintained that the alleged illegal detention of the chief minister was in violation of Articles 4, 9, 10, and 14 of the Constitution, making immediate judicial intervention necessary. He requested the court to direct the relevant authorities to recover Sohail Afridi immediately and produce him before the court.
The petition stated that the authorities should disclose his current whereabouts, identify the individuals or agency holding him, and clarify the legal authority under which he was being detained. It sought details from the CCPO Peshawar about the alleged abduction, the security arrangements in place at the time, and all other aspects of the incident.
He requested an independent and impartial investigation to identify those allegedly involved and initiate legal proceedings against them in accordance with the law. In addition, the petitioner urged the court to order the immediate preservation of CCTV footage from the Chief Minister's House and other relevant locations, along with security records and all evidence relating to the incident, to prevent the possible destruction or loss of crucial evidence during the investigation.
The petition maintained that ensuring the chief minister's life, liberty, and security was the responsibility of the relevant authorities, warning that any further delay could pose a serious risk to his safety. The petitioner has requested that the case be fixed for an early hearing and that the court issue appropriate orders to ensure the chief minister's recovery and protect his safety and legal rights.
Another constitutional petition was filed in the PHC seeking the immediate recovery of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who was allegedly abducted by armed and masked men in the presence of the CCPO. The petitioner sought an explanation from the relevant authorities about the speaker's whereabouts, custody, and legal status.
Waqar Ahmed Khan, a cousin of the speaker, approached the high court under Article 199 of the Constitution through Supreme Court advocate Bashir Wazir. The petition sought urgent judicial orders for the speaker's recovery, protection of his safety, and an investigation into the incident, naming relevant federal and provincial authorities.