Islamabad: A local court in Islamabad has issued a bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case of threatening a female judge.
Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman issued the warrant after hearing the case.
At the beginning of today’s hearing, prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi took the stand that the court had summoned the PTI chief in his personal capacity. He further said that the request for personal immunity of the former prime minister was not accepted.
“Non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan should be issued as bailable ones have already been issued,” Abbasi said, asking if any other criminals were treated in this way besides Khan.
The prosecutor added that an appeal is always filed against the PTI chief’s warrant. However, he himself did not appear in the court.
The court then adjourned till Khan’s lawyer reached the court.
After the hearing resumed, Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told the court that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was hearing bail pleas in several cases. He further said that his client is unable to walk properly due to leg injury and the court has to take care of his client’s security.
The learned judge remarked that the PTI chief’s plea for exemption from attendance had already been dismissed.
To this Chaudhry replied that it is a new day and a new day has to be filed.
Meanwhile, the report regarding the execution of the warrant was also submitted to the court today.
On this, Khan’s lawyer Ali Bukhari told the court that his client does not live in Bani Gala and next time the warrant should be issued at his client’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
After that, the lawyers also submitted a request for exemption from the hearing in the court.
The judge adjourned for the second time and resumed the hearing upon the arrival of Prosecutor Abbasi. After hearing all the arguments, the court adjourned the hearing till May 25 while issuing a warrant directing the PTI chief to submit a surety bond of Rs 20,000.
The court further directed the concerned authorities to send court orders to Zaman Park.
The case
A case was registered against the former prime minister under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior officers of the Islamabad Police during a public rally in August last year.
The IHC then initiated contempt of court proceedings against the former prime minister.
Later, the High Court dropped the terrorism charges and granted amnesty to the PTI chief after acquitting him in a contempt of court case.
But a similar case was registered against the PTI chief – after the first information report (FIR) was registered against him – and is still pending in the sessions court.
