ISLAMABAD: A local court on Monday rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s request seeking the suspension of the non-bailable warrant issued against him in the Toshakhana case.
Additional Session judge Zafar Iqbal, announced the order after reserving it earlier in the day. During today’s hearing, Khan’s lawyers Ali Bukhari, Qaiser Imam, and Gohar Ali Khan appeared before the Islamabad district and sessions court, where Bukhari contended that his client had always followed court orders.
Imam argued that police could not arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief if he was willing to appear in court. At this, the judge remarked that the PTI chief could have approached the Islamabad High Court to suspend the warrant to which Imam said they wanted the sessions court to suspend it. Bukhari added that 70-year-old Khan was at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore and wanted to know a “way he can appear in court”.
On February 28, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against the cricketer-turned-politician for continuously failing to appear before the court in the Toshakhana case. 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.
The PTI chief approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Sunday for post-arrest bail after an Islamabad police team arrived at his Zaman Park residence to arrest him for skipping proceedings in the Toshakhana case. However, the police team returned empty-handed after Khan evaded the arrest.