A lower court of Islamabad on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the female judge threatening case and directed the police to produce the accused before it on March 29. Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Raheem also rejected Imran Khan’s request for a one-time exemption from the appearance. The court in its verdict, which was first reserved and later announced, said it had granted several opportunities to Imran Khan for appearance in his personal capacity and every time he requested for exemption. It cited that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had also declared the non-appearance of the accused on the excuse of security as irrelevant and ordered him to appear before the court on March 13.
The accused had again requested for exemption from attendance today. The court observed that the exemption request from appearance in a personal capacity was inappropriate and due to which the court was issuing non-bailable arrest warrants of Imran Khan.
It said that it would also serve notices to respondents on March 29, in the PTI chief’s acquittal plea.
At the outset of the hearing, the judge remarked that the court had summoned the accused to share copies of the case documents and he had to appear in person so that the trial could proceed.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Intizar Panjutha argued that there were security threats to the former prime minister as he had already faced an attack in Wazirabad. Moreover he was also not completely fit to appear before the court. He said the officials deputed for his client’s security had also been withdrawn and a petition had been filed before the Lahore High Court in that regard. He prayed to the court to grant a one-time exemption from attendance to Imran Khan.
Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi, on the occasion, opposed the exemption request of Imran Khan.
Imran Khan’s lawyer also filed an acquittal pea of his client.
After hearing arguments, the court reserved its judgment and later issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI chairman.
Separately, an Additional Session Court on Monday restored non-bailable arrest warrants against PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan in toshakhana case and directed the police to produce him after arresting on March 18.
The court restored the arrest warrants after Imran Khan again failed to appear before it following the orders of Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Additional Session Judge Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict which was earlier reserved after hearing arguments. Imran Khan’s Lawyer Khwaja Haris submitted two application challenging the maintainability of the complaint and seeking one-time exemption from appearance to his client. During the hearing, ECP’s counsel Saad Hassan said that the high court had suspended the arrest warrants till this date and instructed the accused to appear before the court.
He said that he was not requesting court to issue fresh arrest warrants against Imran Khan as it were already in place. He said that the session court had to view the implementation of the arrest warrants issued by it.
The defence had been filing various applications to delay the court proceeding, he argued, adding that Imran Khan was exploiting his relief.
Saad Hassan said that the case would remain maintainable until the court took a decision on it.
How the accused could get exemption from appearance when his arrest warrants had been issued, he argued.
He said district election commissioner was authorized to file the criminal complaint.
The petitioner’s lawyer said that he needed some time for arguments on maintainability of the case.
Imran Khan’s counsel Khwaja Haris opposed the indictment of former prime minister Imran Khan and prayed the court to dismiss the complaint of District Election Commissioner while declaring the same a non-maintainable.
The lawyer said that Imran Khan was not skipping his attendances deliberately, adding that he was facing security threats. He also prayed the court to grant his client one-time exemption from appearance.
He said that the complaint was filed by the district election commissioner instead of the ECP, adding that the petitioner required an approval from the ECP for this.
Khwaja Haris said that criminal complaint regarding the corruption could be filed within 120 days as per law but it was moved after three years.
He said trial should be proceeded as per the law.
Haris said that they had also filed application to mark the attendance of Imran Khan through the video link.
After hearing arguments, the court reserved the judgment and later restored the arrest warrants against Imran Khan while rejecting his exemption request.
