ISLAMABAD: A local court on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan in judge threatening case.

Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman, while hearing the case, issued bailable warrant after hearing the arguments of both parties.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till May 25 and issued directives that arrest warrants should be served to Khan at Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

At the start of the hearing, prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the court had summoned the PTI chief.

During the last hearing, the court had rejected Khan’s exemption plea, he said. He requested the court that Khan’s today’s exemption application should not be approved.

Abbasi told the court to issue PTI chief non-bailable arrest warrant as bailable ones have already been issued. Khan’s lawyer always files an appeal over the warrants and he does not appear before the court, he said.

The court then took a short break till the arrival of Imran Khan’s lawyer. After the resumption of the hearing following the break, Faisal Chaudhry, Khan’s lawyer informed the court that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was hearing bail pleas in multiple cases. His client was unable to walk properly due to his leg injury, he said.

Ali Bukhari, another lawyer of the PTI chief, while arguing before the court said that his client did not live in Banigala and that next time the warrants should be served at his client’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

Khan’s lawyer submitted a plea seeking the exemption from hearing to the court.

He further told the court that the IHC had sought a reply from the federal government regarding the withdrawal of security from his client.

Directives had been issued to provide security to Khan as per his desire, he said, adding his client was facing life threats.

Bukhari said that according to his information, the district court would be shifted to the new building on May 8. The female judge was neither the complainant in the case nor her statement recorded by police, he said, adding that complainant in the said case was a magistrate.

He said Khan was not fleeing anywhere and was appearing before the court.

After hearing all the arguments, the court issued bailable warrants for Khan against surety bonds worth Rs20,000 and adjourned the case till May 25.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023