Islamabad court suspends non-bailable warrant against former Pakistan PM Imran Khan in judge threats case

Islamabad court on Tuesday (March 14) suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan till March 16 for threatening a woman magistrate while addressing a public gathering 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 Chaudhry and the Islamabad police officials, news agency PTI said.

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Khan's counsel in Monday's hearing said the 70-year-old PTI leader was ready to attend the court proceedings through a video link, but Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim, rejecting his plea, instructed the police to produce the cricketer-turned-politician in court by March 29.

The PTI leader subsequently challenged the warrants in the district court, where Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani in the order said Khan's counsel contended that 'due to security threat to the life of petitioner, the petitioner could not appear before the learned 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 they had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asking permission to appear virtually before the courts.

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The judge said that the arguments raised by Khan's petition needed consideration. "Now to come up for arguments on 16.03.2023. In the meanwhile, operation of the impugned order is hereby suspended till the next date," the order added.

Lawyers Naeem Panjotha and Intizar Panjotha appeared in court in Tuesday's hearing, where Panjotha argued that all the sections invoked against the PTI chief were bailable to which the judge asked if non-bailable arrest warrants had been issued for Khan earlier as well.

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Meanwhile, the judge remarked that Imran Khan was leading an election rally in Lahore to which his lawyer stated that the PTI chairman had appeared in the judicial complex last month.

Khan was initially booked under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Besides, Islamabad High Court (IHC) also initiated contempt of court proceedings against him.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Imran Khan
• Islamabad
• Islamabad High Court
• Non-bailable warrant
• Judge threats case