PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser, restricting the police from arresting him in cases filed after November 24, 2024.
The two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ejaz Anwar, heard Qaiser’s petition, which sought details of cases registered against him. His counsel argued that while a previous order had granted protective bail, the decision was not issued in writing, leading to complications.
Chief Justice Ibrahim questioned the nature of the allegations, prompting a response from the Deputy Attorney General, who confirmed that neither the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) nor the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed cases against Qaiser.
Qaiser’s legal representative also sought a detailed report from Islamabad police to determine whether any cases had been registered in the federal capital.
The court directed Islamabad police to submit the requested report within 15 days, clarifying that any future response should be sought from the city’s Inspector General rather than its Commissioner.
This development follows a previous Islamabad High Court (IHC) hearing where authorities revealed that 17 cases had been registered against the former National Assembly Speaker. However, proceedings on Qaiser’s petition to review these cases were delayed due to time constraints.
Represented by Ayesha Khalid, Qaiser’s petition names multiple officials, including the Secretary of Interior, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, and Inspector Generals of all provinces, as respondents. He alleges that numerous politically motivated and unlawful First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against him, undermining his right to due process.
The PHC ruling now offers temporary relief for Qaiser while investigations into the cases continue.
