Islamabad ATC issues arrest warrant for PTI chairman

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday issued a bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman in judicial complex attack case, ARY News reported.

ATC judge heard the case registered against the former prime minister in Ramna Police Station and expressed annoyance over continuous absence of PTI chairman Imran Khan.

During the hearing, PTI chief lawyer Sardar Masroof told the court that PTI chairman did not appear before Islamabad ATC today as he had to attend proceedings in Lahore High Court (LHC).

PTI lawyer Sardar Masroof also filed an exemption plea on behalf of his client, seeking a one-day exemption from personal appearance in court.

To this, the ATC judger ordered Imran Khan to appear before court in the next hearing and adjourned the further proceedings till July 19.

Furthermore, the ATC also issued arrest warrants for other PTI leaders including Farrukh Habib, Hassan Niazi and Shibli Faraz.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and Fawad Chaudhry in case related to the contempt of the electoral body.

The PTI chief, Fawad Chaudhry, and Asad Umar did not appear before the body. Assistant lawyer of Asad Umar said, her client is facing cases and is scheduled to visit a doctor today.

“My client had been appearing before the ECP, please grant him today’s exemption from appearance,” she added.

Later, the ECP asked Asad Umar‘s lawyer to submit an exemption plea for her client and adjourned and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former premier and Fawad Chaudhry over their ‘persistent absence’ in the contempt case.

The order was passed by a four-member ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani.