An Islamabad court has issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.
The district and sessions court heard the Toshakhana case where Khan’s lawyer Ali Bukhari and Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) lawyer Saad Hasan were present in court. The hearing of the case was conducted by judge Zafar Iqbal.
Khan’s lawyer informed the court that PTI chief will not be able to appear in the court today. Bukhari requested the court to adjourn the hearing for five days. The court had repeatedly asked Khan to appear at the hearing. However, Khan failed to do so, citing his injured leg and security reasons.
The Election Comission of Pakistan’s (ECP) counsel opposed the request, saying the PTI chief did not want to appear before the court. “It is not the court’s concern how far the party head is travelling from to reach the court.”
He pointed out that Imran could also appear before that court if he was coming to the judicial complex.
The PTI lawyer said his client could come to the court when he was free of the other two cases within the judicial operational timings.
“He should also come here as indictment is pending. Once indicted, he can head to the other courts,” the judge responded.
Khan arrived at Islamabad’s judicial complex on Tuesday afternoon to attend two separate hearings of prohibited funding and terrorism cases filed against him.
Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Raja Jawad Abbas approved Khan’s interim bail until March 9 in the terrorism case, while banking court Judge Rakhshinda Shaheen confirmed bail for the PTI chief in the prohibited funding case.
Khan was required to appear in person in four different cases in Islamabad courts today. The foreign funding case is in a banking court and the terrorism case is in an anti-terrorism court located inside the judicial complex, while Toshakhana and attempted murder cases will be heard at a sessions’ court in F-8 Kacheri.
A large number of PTI workers entered the judicial complex with Khan’s entourage, knocking down its gate and creating chaos as the former Prime Minister’s car arrived at the Complex.
Security arrangements at Sector G-11 of the Judicial Complex were disrupted as PTI workers removed all barriers. Meanwhile, security has also been tightened at the F-8 kachehri.
Islamabad Police also took to Twitter and said, “A suspicious person was identified in the crowd. The man was wearing a camouflage jacket and a black cap and was near Imran Khan’s car. People are requested not to form a crowd. Otherwise tear gas can be used.”
The banking court postponed the proceedings scheduled for all the cases against Khan, citing security concerns.
The court had summoned the PTI chief to appear before it today in the prohibited funding case.
An anti-terrorism court granted interim bail to the PTI chair in the terrorism case filed against him after countrywide protests following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.
ATC judge Raja Jawad heard the case and granted bail till March 9.