Pakistan excessive courtroom suspends non-bailable arrest warrant in opposition to Imran Khan in Toshakhana case

While passing the order, the courtroom additionally requested police to offer 70-year-old Imran Khan safety to look within the classes courtroom.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is an accused within the Toshakhana case. (File photograph)

By Press Trust of India: A excessive courtroom in Pakistan on Friday suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant in opposition to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case until March 18, giving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief an opportunity to look in a district courtroom right here.

The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad issued the arrest warrant in opposition to the ousted premier on February 28 within the Toshakhana case concerning the concealment of the proceeds of the state items and directed the capital metropolis police to deliver Khan to courtroom by March 18.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, passing the order suspending the non-bailable arrest warrant on Friday, additionally requested police to offer 70-year-old Khan safety to look within the classes courtroom.

Also Read | Wanted in Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan. Here’s why

The improvement comes a day after Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal dismissed a plea by Khan to droop his non-bailable arrest warrant within the state depository case.

Khan has been within the crosshairs for getting items, together with an costly Graff wristwatch he had obtained because the premier at a reduced value from the state depository referred to as Toshakhana and promoting them for revenue.

Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a division below the executive management of the Cabinet Division and shops treasured items given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officers by heads of different governments and states and overseas dignitaries.

Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in October final 12 months for not sharing particulars of the gross sales. The election physique later filed a grievance with the district courtroom to punish him, below legal legal guidelines, for promoting the items he had obtained as prime minister of the nation.

On Thursday, Judge Iqbal dismissed Khan’s plea to droop a non-bailable arrest warrant in opposition to him and mentioned that he would halt makes an attempt by the Islamabad police to arrest him if the ousted premier surrendered earlier than the courtroom.

He ordered the police to arrest Khan and current him on March 18 as per legislation.

“Law is the same for everyone,” the choose wrote in his judgment after three back-to-back hearings.

While listening to the case, the choose remarked that Khan ought to give up unconditionally earlier than searching for any favour from the courtroom.

Khan has skipped a number of hearings within the case.

The PTI chief has been resisting arrest within the Toshakhana case, holed up inside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, surrounded by a whole lot of his supporters, who’ve fought pitched battles with the police and Rangers over the previous few days, leading to accidents to greater than 60 individuals, principally policemen.

Also Read | Caught at slip however not out: How former Pakistan PM Imran Khan evaded arrest once more

The clashes in the end subsided after the courts intervened on Wednesday, a day after which Khan’s supporters positioned transport containers outdoors the principle entrance of his residence and outfitted themselves with golf equipment and slings to guard the previous premier from any additional police motion.

As police laid siege to his Lahore residence, Khan had as soon as once more rushed to the IHC with a petition in opposition to the arrest orders.

The IHC refused to intervene and requested the lawyer to go to the district courtroom and provides a dedication that Khan would seem on March 18 when the courtroom had scheduled a listening to of the case.

Khan appeared earlier than Lahore High Court on Friday and guaranteed that he was able to current himself on Saturday earlier than the choose dealing with a corruption case in opposition to him, PTI chief Fawad Chaudhry instructed media individuals on Friday, including that “an undertaking has also been given to the court”.

Separately, Khan was set to look within the Lahore High Court (LHC) for a protecting bail to let him journey to Islamabad. Earlier, the Lahore High Court stopped the police from any motion until 3 pm to arrest Khan.

According to Khan, he was going through over 80 totally different instances in numerous courts throughout Pakistan.

Khan was ousted from energy in April final 12 months after dropping a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was a part of a US-led conspiracy focusing on him due to his unbiased overseas coverage choices on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

Since his ouster, Khan has been asking for early elections to oust what he termed an “imported government” led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharif has maintained that elections might be held later this 12 months as soon as the parliament completes its five-year tenure.

Posted By:

Rishabh Sharma

Published On:

Mar 17, 2023