ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday rejected the plea of former prime minister and chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan seeking suspension of arrest warrants and discarded his undertaking of attending the proceeding on March 18.

As Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal resumed proceeding in the Toshakhana case, Khawaja Haris, counsel representing Imran Khan, submitted an application seeking suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants for the PTI chief over his absence from the proceedings.

He requested the court to review the plea against arrest warrants and submitted the undertaking assuring the court that Mr Khan would appear on March 18. He argued that the said date was very close and the court had the power to cancel the warrants.

He suggested that IHC in its order had also asked to consider the undertaking before deciding the matter. ADSJ Iqbal remarked that the IHC had endorsed the orders of this court. He said the court viewed the matter if Imran Khan appeared before it. The court wanted to completely cooperate with the accused but he had made the attendance matter very complex. He added that these warrants might be recalled after the surrender of the suspect.

Judge says PTI chairman ‘made every effort’ to defy court orders

The judge, however, lamented that instead of complying with the court’s order, Mr Khan made every effort to defy the order, and his followers not only resisted the execution of the warrants but the standoff also resulted in injuries to 65 police officials.

The court termed the events outside Zaman Park “unfortunate” and noted that “many persons are injured and many vehicles have [been] damaged in the execution of warrant of arrest and the applicant [Mr Khan] challenged the dignity and writ of the state”.

“Brutal force has been used in obstruction of police officials for discharge of their duty and after creating such state of affairs, the applicant may not claim suspension of the warrant,” it added.

The judge said that the court didn’t want to put Imran Khan’s life at risk but there were some legal requirements as the court also had to follow the directives of the IHC.

Inspector General of Police Islamabad Akbar Nasir apprised the court that unarmed police personnel went to Zaman Park for the execution of the court orders. He said that no representative of Islamabad police was allowed to meet Mr Khan, the police were instead “attacked with petrol bombs”.

The judge noted that Mr Khan avoided the court’s proceeding from the very beginning when the complaint of the Election Commission of Pakistan was filed in November last year. He observed that keeping in view the conduct of the applicant, the warrant may not be cancelled just on the basis of his undertaking.

The court declared that the application of Mr Khan was “not justified by law” and was subsequently dismissed.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2023