Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had non-bailable arrest warrants issued against him on Monday in connection with threats made against a judge. On Tuesday, however, the warrants were suspended by an Islamabad district and sessions court.
Following Imran’s comments at a rally in F9 Park, where he denounced the alleged torture of Shahbaz Gill while being held in custody and declared that his party would bring legal action against the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Inspector General, and Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.
The case was first reported to the Margalla police station in the federal capital on August 20, 2022. Imran was later charged with offences under the Anti-Terrorism Act and several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) (ATA).
Imran was given arrest warrants during the hearing on Monday after using threatening language towards Judge Zeba Chaudhry and the Islamabad police officers. Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim issued the warrants.
Imran’s attorney did, however, submit a request to appear via video link during yesterday’s hearing. Judge Rahim, however, dismissed the argument and ordered the police to present Imran in court by March 29.
The PTI then challenged the arrest warrants in the district court, and ADSJ Faizan Haider Gilani’s court took it up.
Despite the fact that Imran had expressed regret in the prior contempt of court case and the Islamabad High Court had dropped the terrorism-related charges against him, a related case brought after the filing of a FIR accusing Imran of threatening the judge is still pending before the sessions court.
This new development is a significant update in the case against the PTI chairman, and the court proceedings in Islamabad have been the subject of extensive media coverage. Because of Imran’s prominence as a former prime minister and head of a significant political party in Pakistan, the case has attracted a lot of attention.
