A Peshawar High Court bench stopped the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government from placing the names of former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and five other former lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad also asked the government to respond to the petitions of Mr Qaiser, former MNA Junaid Akber and former MPAs Iftikhar Mishwani, Zahir Shah Toru, Shakeel Khan and Liaqat Ali against the Fourth Schedule move by Feb 20.

The petitioners have challenged the home department’s “ongoing process” to place their names in the Fourth Schedule on the recommendations of the administrations of Mardan, Swabi and Malakand districts.

Additional advocate general Danyal Asad Chamkani appeared for the government and said he would submit a report on the matter on behalf of the government.

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