Imran Khan challenges court order on arrest warrants

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday moved IHC against the district and sessions court order which upheld his arrest warrants in the Toshakhana case, ARY News reported.

A legal team of the former prime minister filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a day after the district and sessions court had rejected Imran Khan’s plea and upheld his non-bailable arrest warrants in Toshakhana case and summoned him on March 18.

اسلام آباد کی ڈسٹرکٹ کورٹ کے فیصلے کیخلاف نظرثانی کا کیس ہائیکورٹ میں دائر کردیا، فواد چوہدری#ARYNews pic.twitter.com/RTSkppOnxZ

— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) March 17, 2023

Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict on a plea of the PTI chairman seeking suspension of his arrest warrants. The PTI had filed the petition after police reached Zaman Park to arrest the PTI Chairman in Toshakhana case.

However, the registrar’s office of the Islamabad High Court raised objections to the petition, saying that former prime minister did not conduct biometric verification to submit his plea.

Yesterday’s proceedings

The District and Sessions Court Islamabad Thursday rejected Imran Khan’s plea and upheld his non-bailable arrest warrants in Toshakhana case.

During the proceedings, the election commission’s counsel opposed the plea seeking suspension of the arrest warrants. “The court has rejected scores of pleas for exemption from attending the hearing earlier,” ECP counsel said.

“Imran Khan has given declarations scores of times. DIG visited to talk with Imran Khan, but stones thrown at him,” lawyer said. “Warrants suspend when an accused appears in court. An extra-ordinary relief being demanded from the court,” counsel said.

“Warrant was meant for production of an accused in court, where is he,” ECP lawyer questioned. “They are only interested in arrest of Imran Khan, when he himself want to appear,” Imran Khan’s counsel said. “They want to degrade him,” lawyer said.

The election commission lawyer asked the court that the undertaking should be considered in view of earlier assurances and pleaded to reject the petition seeking suspension of the arrest warrant.

Toshakhana reference

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p).

In the written judgment, the ECP said: “As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.”

“The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn’t declare it,” ECP decision read.

“Imran Khan being declared disqualified and unseated from his National Assembly seat,” the ECP said, adding: “He has been disqualified under Article 63, 1(P), over submitting a false statement and declaration”.

The judgement added that the former premier was found to be indulged in corrupt practices under sections 167 and 173 of the constitution. “A criminal proceeding will be initiated against him over filing a false statement.”

“His disqualification under Article 63, 1(P) has been for his current parliament membership”, the ECP said in its 36-page detailed judgment of the reference.