Court issues arrest warrants for Imran: The leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, was given non-bailable arrest warrants on Tuesday by a sessions court in Islamabad for failing to appear in the Toshakhana (gift repository) case.
Following two postponements, the PTI chairman was set to be charged in the Toshakhana case today. The court went into recess after his attorney asked for an exemption from his client’s requirement to be in court today.
Nevertheless, when the hearing was resumed, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued the arrest warrants for failure to appear and postponed the case to March 7.
Imran then went to the IHC to pick up his pre-arrest bail, which he had requested. Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the case’s hearing.
Earlier, he found solace in the approval of Imran’s bail requests by both an anti-terrorism court (ATC) and a banking court.
The PTI leader arrived at Islamabad’s courthouse today to make various court appearances.
Imran requested interim bail until March 9, and the ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan granted it. Imran was charged in connection with protests that broke out after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him in the Toshakhana incident.
It should be mentioned that the IHC is currently considering a plea that challenges the “ridiculous” terrorism allegations levied against the PTI leader.
The media has been prohibited from the high court hearing where the ousted prime minister is expected to appear.
Case of prohibited funding
Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen of the Banks Court granted the PTI leader’s request for release.
The banking court has delayed all other cases set for hearing on Tuesday in order to accommodate Imran Khan’s attendance in the prohibited funding issue.
The PTI chairman requested bail in the case brought by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Commercial Banking Circle in Islamabad under the Foreign Exchange Act against him and other party leaders after they were charged with being the recipients of suspicious bank accounts.
According to the FIA, the Abraaj Group alone sent $2.1 million to the PTI’s bank accounts.
After the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled that the PTI had indeed received illicit funds, the body began its investigation into the party in August of this year.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI who is now disillusioned, had filed the lawsuit, which has been pending since November 14, 2014.
The political party received unauthorised funding from other nations, including the US, UAE, UK, and Australia, according to the ECP’s written order.
Imran’s request for leave had been denied during the prior sessions, and the banking court judge had ordered him to appear in court.
But, the PTI leader’s legal team was able to obtain respite from the IHC until February 22 in order to prevent the banking court from temporarily revoking Imran’s bail.
Case of Toshakhana
In the meantime, Imran’s attorneys asked Additional Sessions Judge Zaffar Iqbal to postpone the hearing by a further five days during hearings at a criminal court over the Toshakhana case earlier today.
The PTI leader could appear before other courts, so why not this one? The ECP attorney disputed the plea, claiming that “it is of no interest to the court where Imran is coming from.”
Imran Khan’s attorney claimed that while “I am unable to bring Imran Khan before the court,” “we would appear before the court if he manages to get out of the judicial complex in time.”
Judge Iqbal expressed his disappointment that Imran could appear before other courts in the judicial complex but not in this one after becoming irritated by the lawyer’s statement.
The judge stated, “Charges are going to be framed here, therefore he should present, and then after they have been framed, he may leave.
The court subsequently ruled that Imran must appear in court and denied his attorney’s request to postpone the hearing.
Imran within the city
A large contingent of FIA were visible in the courthouse as the former prime minister was scheduled to appear today in four distinct proceedings before multiple judges.
A jail van and an armoured car were also observed parked outside the courthouse.
As reported on PTI’s Twitter account, large crowds were observed near the G-13 bridge.
Fawad Chaudhry, the head of the PTI, had already voiced his concerns on the “security hazard” in these circumstances.
“He stated, “Attendance was feasible via video link. The lives of Imran Khan and the multitudes who will be around him will be put at risk in all the courts that he will be dragged through today over fake cases. But, the goal is to manipulate Imran Khan’s life “.