Islamabad Court rejects application seeking Imran Khan’s arrest in contempt case
ISLAMABAD, Feb 13 (SABAH): A district and sessions court in Islamabad rejected an application for issuing an arrest warrant against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minidter Imran Khan on Monday in a contempt of court case and accepted his request for leave.
Previously, the PTI chief had landed himself in legal trouble after making controversial remarks against Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.
Although the Islamabad High Court had later said it had been satisfied by Imran Khan’s attempt to tender an apology to the judge and retracted its show-cause notice in October, Islamabad Civil and Sessions Senior Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim had later in December issued a notice to the PTI chief after police submitted their charge sheet in the case to the court.
During the proceedings on Monday, Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi argued that the former premier’s bail bonds should be suspended.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s counsel Naeem Panjohtha requested the court to excuse his absence on medical grounds saying “his health is not allowing him to travel to Islamabad” and he informed the court that the doctors have advised him to rest.
Raja Rizwan Abbasi; however objected to the request and maintained that the medical report was prepared “in Imran Khan’s own hospital” — that being the cancer hospital run by the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT).
“Shaukat Khanum is a cancer hospital,” he furthered, “while Imran Khan’s issue is a completely different one. He has swelling due to a fracture”.
“It is not as if Imran Khan has been asked to walk to the court,” the special prosecutor retorted as he requested the court once again to suspend his bail bonds and issue his arrest warrants.
After the arguments were completed, the court announced that it had decided to accept Imran Khan’s application granting him leave of absence during Monday’s (today) proceedings, while rejecting the request for issuing orders for his arrest. The court was later adjourned until March 9.
In August last, the PTI chairman slammed the police as well as the judiciary over alleged custodial torture on Dr. Shahbaz Gill and announced that his party would take legal action against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, the DIG and additional sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry.
Following his remarks, Imran Khan was booked under various sections of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Later, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) removed the terrorism charges against him in the case. It also accepted his apology in the contempt of court case.