Pakistan ex-PM gets relief in judge threats case

• The warrant was issued against Khan for using threatening language against an additional district and sessions judge
• Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim had instructed the police to produce him in court by March 29
• A team of Islamabad Police on Monday flew to Lahore to arrest Khan as he took out a rally with thousands of supporters

An Islamabad court on Tuesday suspended until March 16 the non-bailable warrant issued against former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan for threatening a female judge while addressing a public rally in the capital last year.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan was issued a non-bailable warrant on Monday for using threatening language against District and Sessions Judge Zeb Chaudhry and police officials in Islamabad, a report mentioned. Khan's lawyer said at Monday's hearing that the 70-year-old PTI leader was ready to attend the trial via video link, but Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim rejected his plea and ordered police to produce the cricketer-turned-politician. court until March 29.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader subsequently challenged the warrants in the district court, where Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani said in an order that Khan's counsel had argued that "due to the security threat to the petitioner's life, the petitioner could not appear before the trial court ".

During the hearing, Khan's lawyer said it was not safe for the former prime minister to come to Islamabad amid security threats against him, adding that they had petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission to appear before the courts virtually.

The judge said the arguments raised by Khan's petition needed to be considered. "Now 16.03.2023 come to the arguments. In the meantime, the operation of the impugned order is suspended till further date,” the order added. Lawyers Naeem Panjotha and Intizar Panjotha appeared in court in Tuesday's hearing where Panjotha argued that all the sections filed against the PTI chief were payable, prompting the judge to ask if non-payment warrants had been issued against Khan earlier.

Previously, no arrest warrants had been issued in a case related to threats against a female judge, the lawyer replied. The government lawyer, on his part, informed the court that [warrants] for Khan were also issued in Toshakhan's case. A sessions court on Monday directed the police to arrest the PTI chief in the case and produce him in court by March 18. Meanwhile, the judge noted that the former prime minister had led an election rally in Lahore in which his lawyer said the PTI Chairman had appeared at the court complex last month.

Khan was initially booked under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). In addition, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has also initiated contempt of court proceedings against him. However, the IHC later dropped the terrorism charge and also pardoned Khan following the former prime minister's apology in the contempt case.