ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Friday converted a non-bailable arrest warrant issued for PTI Chairman Imran Khan into bailable in a case related to threatening a woman magistrate while addressing a public gathering last year.
Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani pronounced the verdict he reserved earlier in the day. He has disposed of the petition filed by the PTI seeking an extension in the suspension of the arrest warrant.
Special prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi and counsel for the former prime minister, Gohar Ali, had submitted the arguments before the judge reserved the verdict.
Mr Ali informed the judge that his client would appear before a court in Islamabad in the Toshakhana case on March 30 and sought an extension in the suspension of his arrest warrants till that date. The PTI lawyer said he would file an application to change the arrest warrants’ date. “It’s strange that you are asking for March 30 while the date for arrest warrants is March 29,” the judge remarked.
The prosecutor said arguments should be made on a petition seeking suspension of the arrest warrants. When the judge asked if Mr Khan ever appeared in court, the prosecutor said the PTI chief never attended the hearing of the threat case. He said no lawyer had even submitted power of attorney on the behalf of the PTI chairman in the case.
After hearing arguments, the judge reserved his verdict which is expected to be announced shortly.
Earlier this month, the district and sessions court extended till March 24 the suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants for Mr Khan in the woman judge threat case.
It is to be mentioned that during the previous hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani had suspended Imran Khan’s arrest warrants and ordered him to appear before court concerned on March 20 (Monday).
On March 13, Civil Judge of District and Sessions Court Rana Mujahid Azeem had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan for threatening judge Zeba Chaudhry.
