Court extends suspension of Imran’s arrest warrants in judge threatening case

• Imran's arrest warrants suspended till March 24.
• Suspension comes as Judge Gilani was on leave.
• PTI chief "threatened" judge in August last year.

ISLAMABAD: A local court Monday extended the suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan till March 24 in the judge-threatening case.

The hearing of the case was adjourned without proceeding as Additional Session Judge Faizan Haider Gilani was on leave.

The judge had previously suspended the arrest warrants against the PTI chairman to this date as Khan did not appear before the court due to him being holed up at his Zamar Park residence in Lahore — amid a police operation.

In this case, Senior civil judge Rana Mujahid Rahim had on March 13 issued Khan’s non-bailable arrest warrant for repeatedly failing to appear before the court.

To avert arrest, the former prime minister had filed a petition in a local court challenging the arrest warrant — but he has still not appeared before the court in person despite repeated summons.

Later, on March 14, Judge Gillani had suspended the arrest warrants till March 16 — and on the same day, he extended the relief.

The case

A case was registered against the former prime minister under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police during a public rally in August last year.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) then started contempt of court proceedings against the former prime minister.

Later on, the high court removed the terror charges and also pardoned the PTI chief after he tender an apology in the contempt case.

But a similar case was filed against the PTI chief — after the registration of the first information report (FIR) against him — is still pending before the sessions court.