islamabadA court here on Tuesday suspended till March 16 the non-bailable warrant issued against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for threatening a woman magistrate while addressing a public meeting here last year. A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan on Monday for using threatening language against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhary and Islamabad police officials, Dawn news reported. to be done.
In Monday’s hearing, Khan’s counsel said the 70-year-old PTI leader was ready to participate in the court proceedings through a video link, but senior civil judge Rana Mujahid Rahim, while rejecting his plea, directed the police that the cricketer Khan, who became a politician, should be presented in the court. Court till March 29
The PTI leader later challenged the warrant in the district court, where Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Geelani, in the order, noted that Khan’s counsel argued that due to the security threat to the life of the petitioner, the petitioner could not appear before the trial court. .
During the hearing, a lawyer for Khan said it was not safe for the former prime minister to come to Islamabad amid security threats against him, adding that he had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking a virtual appearance. Permission was sought. Courts.
The judge said the contentions raised in Khan’s plea needed to be considered. Now to come up for debate on 16.03.2023. In the meantime, the operation of the impugned order stands suspended till the next date, the order added.
Lawyers Naeem Panjotha and Intizar Panjotha appeared before the court in Tuesday’s hearing, where Panjotha argued that all the sections against the PTI chief were bailable, to which the judge asked whether a non-bailable arrest warrant had been issued for Khan earlier. were done. Earlier, no arrest warrant has been issued in the case of threatening the woman judge, replied the lawyer.
At the same time, the counsel for the government informed the court that [arrest] Warrants were also issued for Khan in the Toshakhana case. The sessions court had on Monday directed the police to arrest the PTI chief in the case and produce him before the court by March 18.
Meanwhile, the judge remarked that the former prime minister was leading an election rally in Lahore, to which his lawyer said the PTI chairman had appeared in the judicial premises last month.
Khan was initially booked under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Furthermore, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also initiated contempt of court proceedings against him.
However, the IHC later dropped the terrorism charges and pardoned Khan after the former premier apologized in the contempt case. However, a similar case registered after a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against him for threatening a judge is pending before the Sessions Court.
Meanwhile, a team of Islamabad police on Monday arrested Khan for allegedly threatening a woman judge after the district and sessions court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for failing to attend the hearing of that case. flew to Lahore.
Khan, who is recuperating from a bullet injury sustained in an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has not attended the prosecution proceedings in these cases. The PTI chief is in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, which he received as prime minister at a subsidized price from a state depository called Toshakhana and sold them for a profit.
Khan had heavily criticized state institutions after police unsuccessfully tried to arrest him from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore earlier this month.
According to Khan, he was facing at least 80 different cases in different courts across Pakistan.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. was part of.