The Peshawar High Court Bannu Bench declared null and void the FIR registered under the Anti-Corruption law against Judge Humayun Dilawar and his brother, ruling the complaint baseless and illegal. The FIR had been filed by the PTI provincial government and was widely characterised as a retaliatory move following the sentencing of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case.
The two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Afridi and Justice Sabitullah heard the petition brought by Judge Dilawar and his brother. After hearing detailed arguments from both sides, the bench concluded that the FIR lacked merit and ordered it set aside, effectively nullifying the earlier registration.
The case for Judge Dilawar and his brother was argued by Sawal Nazir Khan, Advocate Supreme Court. The PTI provincial government was represented by Additional Advocate Generals Inam ur Rehman and Asghar Ahmadzai. The parties presented extensive submissions before the bench before the court delivered its verdict.
The decision to void the FIR has been viewed as a significant development in the ongoing legal and political disputes involving PTI and the judiciary. Observers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa noted that the ruling removes immediate legal jeopardy for Judge Dilawar and his brother and may affect the broader conversations around judicial independence and political accountability in the province.
