The court speaks
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A top court in Pakistan on March 10, 2024 suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case of hate speech against state institutions after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party filed a petition against the move.
Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim issued arrest warrants for Imran while hearing a case registered against the ex-premier for using threatening language against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and the Islamabad police officials
The non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against Mr. Khan on Thursday on behalf of a citizen for “spreading hate” against state institutions and their offices following his recent speech.
Mr. Khan’s party filed a petition in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) against the orders of a judicial magistrate in Quetta, urging it to cancel the arrest warrant and also quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him at a police station in Quetta, capital of Balochistan.
In Imran’s defence
Khan, 70, the country’s only premier who was ousted through a no-confidence vote in Pakistan’s 75-year chequered political history, is facing a slew of cases against him ranging from terrorism to attempted murder and to money laundering.
Most of the cases, which Khan dubs a “sham,” have been lodged after his ouster.
He was deposed as prime minister after parliament passed a no-confidence vote in April last year.
Khan blames his unceremonious ouster on a US-backed conspiracy, an allegation that the incumbent coalition government in Islamabad and Washington have repeatedly refuted.
Imran’s counsel had said that the former prime minister was ready to join the proceedings through video link. However, Judge Rahim rejected the plea and instructed the police to produce Imran in court by March 29.
He narrowly escaped assassination while leading an anti-government long march towards Islamabad last November. Since then, he has been residing at his residence in Lahore and has frequently skipped court hearings on health and security grounds.
Suspending former premier Khan’s arrest warrants, Additional Sessions judge of Islamabad district and sessions court, Faizan Haider barred the police from arresting Khan till March 16. Khan’s lawyers Naeem Haider Panjutha and Intizar Haider Panjutha had challenged the non-bailable arrest warrant in the district and sessions court.
BHC’s Justice Zaheer-ud-Din Kakar suspended the arrest warrant and adjourned the hearing for two weeks after issuing notices to the Balochistan inspector general of police, director of the investigation, senior superintendent (legal), the station house officer, and the complainant. The judicial magistrate had ordered the police to arrest Mr. Khan, 70, and presented him before the court.
One of the many in the pile
This case is the latest of more than 76 cases filed against Mr. Khan since his removal from office in April 2022 through a no-trust move. It was filed after Mr. Khan made a blistering attack against the establishment of the country following a botched attempt by police to arrest him from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore in the Toshakhana case.
Mr. Khan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
