No hearing today in PTI plea for cancellation of Imran Khan's arrest warrant

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request to hear party Chairman Imran Khan’s petition seeking suspension of arrest warrants issued in Toshakhana case, ARY News reported.

The party had filed the petition – challenging the arrest warrants of Imran Khan – shortly after police and PTI workers had come face to face outside the former premier’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq fixed the hearing for tomorrow (Wednesday) while rejecting the party’s request to conduct the hearing today.

Taking to Twitter, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the plea challenging the arrest warrant had been fixed for tomorrow. “The arrest warrant against Imran was dated March 18, therefore, police should call off its operation and wait for the court’s verdict,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Islamabad police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse PTI workers gathered outside party chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

The police team reached Lahore to arrest Imran Khan after a district and sessions court issued his non-bailable arrest warrants for failing to attend the hearing in Toshakhana reference.

The court of ADSJ Zafar Iqbal restored non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran in the Toshakhana reference. It instructed the police to arrest the PTI chief and present him in court by March 18.

In a statement, the Islamabad police spokesperson said that they have reached Lahore to arrest PTI chief on court orders.

While reacting to the reports of the arrest, PTI leader Hammad Azhar on Sunday afternoon called all party workers to reach Zaman Park in Lahore and remain peaceful.

Imran Khan’s message

In a video message shared on Twitter, the PTI chief urged the nation to stand resolute and fight for ‘Haqeeqi Azadi (real freedom) and rule of law’.

Imran Khan noted that the government believes the nation will ‘not react’ if he gets arrested, urging the party workers and supporters to prove the incumbent rulers ‘wrong’.

“You [the nation] have to prove that we are a living nation”, the former premier said, asking the nation to continue its struggle for real freedom and come out of their houses. He further said that he will continue to fight for the supremacy of Rule of Law.