Court issues stay order in FIR against Achakzai during hearing of petition filed by PkMAP chief
A photo of Opposition Leader and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai. SCREENGRAB
The Balochistan High Court on Thursday suspended all legal proceedings regarding a first information report (FIR) registered against senior opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai over alleged seditious remarks.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kamran Khan Malakhail and Justice Gul Hassan Tareen issued the stay order while hearing a petition filed by the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman, who sought the dismissal of the case.
During the arguments, Chief Justice Malakhail raised questions regarding the legal course chosen by the petitioner. He observed that since Achakzai was an elected member of the National Assembly and enjoyed parliamentary immunity, the matter should have been raised in Parliament.
The chief justice also enquired why the petitioner had not approached the relevant trial court before moving the high court.
In response, the defence counsel representing the veteran politician presented detailed arguments outlining the political and legal merits of the petition, contending that the case lacked a proper legal foundation.
The case against the opposition leader was initially registered following a complaint lodged by an individual. After hearing the initial arguments from the defence, the bench issued formal notices to the state and ordered a complete halt to any police or judicial action stemming from the case until the next scheduled hearing.
