The court in Islamabad instructed police to arrest Imran Khan and present him before the court by March 29.
Islamabad: A court in Islamabad on Monday issued non-bailable arrest warrants against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case pertaining to using threatening language against a woman additional district and sessions judge and senior police officers, Dawn reported. The court in Islamabad instructed police to arrest Imran Khan and present him before the court by March 29.
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The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued after Imran Khan failed to appear for the hearing of the case registered against him for hurling threats at a female judge.
Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim released the three-page reserved verdict and dismissed his petition seeking exemption from attending the hearing of the case in person.
Imran Khan, who was deposed in a vote of no-confidence last year, once again skipped the hearing and filed a plea for an exemption from physically appearing before the judge.
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While hearing the matter, a lawyer for the PTI chief, Intezar Haider Panjutha, said it was not safe for the 71-year-old politician to come to Islamabad amid security threats against him. The lawyer further added that they have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asking permission to appear virtually before the courts.
Another lawyer of Khan’s legal team said a petition has been filed seeking exemption from attendance on behalf of the former prime minister on security grounds.
Imran Khan’s lawyer also requested to accept his plea, mentioning “not appearing for some reasons and not willing to appear are two different things.”
The Islamabad court had earlier rejected the PTI chief’s plea by saying “if Imran did not appear in court today, a non-bailable arrest warrant against him would be issued.
Earlier, a case was registered against the PTI chief at Islamabad’s Margalla police station for hurling threatening remarks at judge Zeba Chaudhry.
