ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Islamabad (IHC) suspended the arrest warrant against Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan until March 13 on Tuesday as he was charged for the fourth time in the Toshakhana case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict he had reserved earlier in the day and ordered Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief to appear before the district and session court on March 13, rejected a plea from Khan’s lawyer. four weeks to appear in court in the case.
Khan, 70, is in his crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch that he had been given as prime minister at a discounted price by the state custodian named Toshakhana, and selling it for a profit.
Khan skipped a hearing at the sentry court for the fourth time on Tuesday citing health and safety concerns.
Appearing in court, counsel for former Prime Minister Sher Afzal Marwat said Khan was unwell and “disabled” after being injured in the Wazirabad attack.
Marwat said a “global spectacle” had been created in relation to the PTI chief, whose party challenged in the IHC on Monday the arrest warrant issued against him for failing to appear in court.
Marwat asked the court to set a date for hearing the case next week, claiming he would give the power of attorney in “a day or two”.
Khan took to Twitter on Tuesday to denounce Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, saying it was behind a total of 76 lawsuits – so far – filed against him.
“This is what happens when a bunch of criminals are thrust upon a nation by people who lack intelligence, morality and ethics,” he tweeted.
The PTI chief on Monday opposed the IHC against the non-bailable arrest warrant ordered by the Islamabad Session Court in the Toshakhana case.
His lawyer Ali Bukhari petitioned the IHC for the order to be withdrawn, arguing that it was “illegal” to issue a warrant that does not release bail.
The IHC then gave Khan another chance to choose a date to appear in court in the Toshakhana credential (gift depository).
The court also noted that the arrest warrants were not issued for arrests, but to press charges against Khan.
“You go to court to draft charges and then ask for an exemption,” Judge Farooq said. “The law is the same for everyone. What can the court do?
“The court should adopt legal process,” he added, claiming that Khan was due to appear in court today (Monday), but he did not.
“Do you say, when will he appear?” asked the judge. “Imran Khan must also appear before me. He can come on March 9 and also appear in court.”
Here the PTI lawyer said Khan had serious security threats to which the judge replied that the court judges received threats “every day” and asked if he should close the IHC because of it.
Khan’s lawyer stated that he would consult the PTI chief and receive “instructions” on what to do next “within half an hour”. The counsel announced that he would speak to Khan via video link due to “security concerns”.
The court adjourned the session for half an hour.
The Islamabad session court had earlier on Monday rejected the request to revoke Khan’s arrest warrant.
Khan had argued that withdrawing the summons would give him “a fair chance to appear and defend himself” in the case, but the judge said the PTI chief “deliberately avoided” his appearance.
Khan has previously skipped three times the indictment hearings in the Islamabad session court in the case.
In his asset declarations, he is accused of concealing details of the gifts he withheld from the Toshakhana – a warehouse that stores gifts handed to government officials by foreign officials.
The Islamabad court judge had issued arrest warrants for Khan on February 28 and postponed the hearing to March 7.
On March 5, an Islamabad police team was sent to Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore with the summons. However, the police returned empty-handed after the PTI chief evaded arrest.
Separately, Islamabad police on Monday filed a case against Khan and 150 of his party associates for obstructing law enforcement agencies in executing a court order against the deposed prime minister in the Toshakhana case.
Police encountered heavy resistance from PTI activists outside Khan’s residence in Zaman Park.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled last October that he had made “false statements and misrepresentations” regarding Toshakhana gifts.
The ECP later asked the Islamabad Session Court to prosecute Khan criminally for concealing the sale of gifts.
Khan was removed from power in April after losing a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he says was part of a US-led conspiracy against him for his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
Khan, who came to power in 2018, is the only Pakistani prime minister to have been ousted by a vote of no confidence in parliament.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict he had reserved earlier in the day and ordered Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief to appear before the district and session court on March 13, rejected a plea from Khan’s lawyer. four weeks to appear in court in the case.
Khan, 70, is in his crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch that he had been given as prime minister at a discounted price by the state custodian named Toshakhana, and selling it for a profit.
Khan skipped a hearing at the sentry court for the fourth time on Tuesday citing health and safety concerns.
Appearing in court, counsel for former Prime Minister Sher Afzal Marwat said Khan was unwell and “disabled” after being injured in the Wazirabad attack.
Marwat said a “global spectacle” had been created in relation to the PTI chief, whose party challenged in the IHC on Monday the arrest warrant issued against him for failing to appear in court.
Marwat asked the court to set a date for hearing the case next week, claiming he would give the power of attorney in “a day or two”.
Khan took to Twitter on Tuesday to denounce Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, saying it was behind a total of 76 lawsuits – so far – filed against him.
“This is what happens when a bunch of criminals are thrust upon a nation by people who lack intelligence, morality and ethics,” he tweeted.
The PTI chief on Monday opposed the IHC against the non-bailable arrest warrant ordered by the Islamabad Session Court in the Toshakhana case.
His lawyer Ali Bukhari petitioned the IHC for the order to be withdrawn, arguing that it was “illegal” to issue a warrant that does not release bail.
The IHC then gave Khan another chance to choose a date to appear in court in the Toshakhana credential (gift depository).
The court also noted that the arrest warrants were not issued for arrests, but to press charges against Khan.
“You go to court to draft charges and then ask for an exemption,” Judge Farooq said. “The law is the same for everyone. What can the court do?
“The court should adopt legal process,” he added, claiming that Khan was due to appear in court today (Monday), but he did not.
“Do you say, when will he appear?” asked the judge. “Imran Khan must also appear before me. He can come on March 9 and also appear in court.”
Here the PTI lawyer said Khan had serious security threats to which the judge replied that the court judges received threats “every day” and asked if he should close the IHC because of it.
Khan’s lawyer stated that he would consult the PTI chief and receive “instructions” on what to do next “within half an hour”. The counsel announced that he would speak to Khan via video link due to “security concerns”.
The court adjourned the session for half an hour.
The Islamabad session court had earlier on Monday rejected the request to revoke Khan’s arrest warrant.
Khan had argued that withdrawing the summons would give him “a fair chance to appear and defend himself” in the case, but the judge said the PTI chief “deliberately avoided” his appearance.
Khan has previously skipped three times the indictment hearings in the Islamabad session court in the case.
In his asset declarations, he is accused of concealing details of the gifts he withheld from the Toshakhana – a warehouse that stores gifts handed to government officials by foreign officials.
The Islamabad court judge had issued arrest warrants for Khan on February 28 and postponed the hearing to March 7.
On March 5, an Islamabad police team was sent to Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore with the summons. However, the police returned empty-handed after the PTI chief evaded arrest.
Separately, Islamabad police on Monday filed a case against Khan and 150 of his party associates for obstructing law enforcement agencies in executing a court order against the deposed prime minister in the Toshakhana case.
Police encountered heavy resistance from PTI activists outside Khan’s residence in Zaman Park.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled last October that he had made “false statements and misrepresentations” regarding Toshakhana gifts.
The ECP later asked the Islamabad Session Court to prosecute Khan criminally for concealing the sale of gifts.
Khan was removed from power in April after losing a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he says was part of a US-led conspiracy against him for his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
Khan, who came to power in 2018, is the only Pakistani prime minister to have been ousted by a vote of no confidence in parliament.
