Islamabad: A courtroom right here on Tuesday suspended until March 16 a non-bailable arrest warrant issued in opposition to former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan for threatening a lady Justice of the Peace whereas addressing a public gathering right here final yr. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued in opposition to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan on Monday for utilizing threatening language in opposition to Extra District and Periods Decide Zeba Chaudhry and the Islamabad police officers, Daybreak information reported.
Khan’s counsel in Monday’s listening to stated the 70-year-old PTI chief was able to attend the courtroom proceedings by means of a video hyperlink, however Senior Civil Decide Rana Mujahid Rahim, rejecting his plea, instructed the police to supply the cricketer-turned-politician in courtroom by March 29.
The PTI chief subsequently challenged the warrants within the district courtroom, the place Extra Periods Decide Faizan Haider Gilani within the order stated Khan’s counsel contended that attributable to safety risk to the lifetime of petitioner, the petitioner couldn’t seem earlier than the discovered trial courtroom.
In the course of the listening to, a lawyer for Khan stated it was not protected for the previous prime minister to return to Islamabad amid safety threats in opposition to him, including that that they had filed a petition within the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom (IHC) asking permission to look nearly earlier than the courts.
The decide stated that the arguments raised by Khan’s petition wanted consideration. Now to return up for arguments on 16.03.2023. In the intervening time, operation of the impugned order is hereby suspended until the subsequent date, the order added.
Legal professionals Naeem Panjotha and Intizar Panjotha appeared in courtroom in Tuesday’s listening to, the place Panjotha argued that each one the sections invoked in opposition to the PTI chief had been bailable to which the decide requested if non-bailable arrest warrants had been issued for Khan earlier as properly. Earlier than this, arrest warrants haven’t been issued within the case associated to threatening the lady decide, the lawyer replied.
For his half, the federal government’s lawyer knowledgeable the courtroom that [arrest] warrants for Khan had been additionally issued within the Toshakhana case. A classes courtroom had directed the police on Monday to arrest the PTI chief within the case and current him in courtroom by March 18.
In the meantime, the decide remarked that the ex-premier was main an election rally in Lahore to which his lawyer said that the PTI chairman had appeared within the judicial complicated final month.
Khan was initially booked beneath numerous sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Moreover, Islamabad Excessive Courtroom (IHC) additionally initiated contempt of courtroom proceedings in opposition to him.
Nonetheless, the IHC later eliminated the terrorism fees and likewise pardoned Khan following an apology within the contempt case by the previous premier. Nonetheless, an identical case, filed after the registration of a primary data report (FIR) in opposition to him for threatening the decide, is pending earlier than the classes courtroom.
In the meantime, a crew of Islamabad Police on Monday flew to Lahore to arrest Khan for threatening the lady decide after the district and classes courtroom issued his non-bailable arrest warrant for failing to attend the listening to in that case.
Khan, who’s recovering from a gunshot harm from an assassination try in Wazirabad final yr, has skipped indictment hearings in these instances. The PTI chief is within the crosshairs for getting presents, together with an costly Graff wristwatch he had obtained because the premier at a reduced worth from the state depository known as Toshakhana and promoting them for revenue.
Khan has closely criticised the state establishments after a botched try by police to arrest him from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore earlier this month.
In keeping with Khan, he was dealing with at the least 80 totally different instances in numerous courts throughout Pakistan.
Khan was ousted from energy in April final yr after dropping a no-confidence vote in his management, which he alleged was a part of a US-led conspiracy focusing on him due to his unbiased overseas coverage selections on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
