Daily Times

Imran Khan, the former prime minister and chairman of the PTI, contested the non-bailable arrest warrants that had been issued for him yesterday in connection with threatening a female judge.

The case will be heard by Additional Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani, and the petition was filed in the court of Duty Judge Sikandar Khan in Islamabad.

Imran Khan was given non-bailable arrest warrants on Monday by a local court in Islamabad for allegedly threatening Zeba Chaudhry, a female judge.

Imran’s request for an exemption from court appearance was denied by Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim of the district and sessions court, who also issued arrest warrants for him for failing to show up for the hearing on the case he was charged with threatening Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

The judge reserved judgment while directing Margalla Police Station to present Imran Khan before the court on March 29. The hearing was then postponed until then.

During the court proceedings, a lawyer for the PTI chief Intezar Haider Panjutha had said it was not safe for the 71-year-old politician to come to Islamabad amid security threats, adding they had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) asking permission to appear virtually before the courts.

Another member of Imran’s legal team, Naeem Haider Panjutha, had said a petition had been filed on behalf of the former prime minister, seeking exemption from attendance on security grounds.

The attorney argued that “not appearing for some reasons and not wanting to appear are two different things,” and that the court should accept Imran’s plea.

The PTI chairman expressed anger over Judge Zeba’s decision to deny bail to PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in a speech at Islamabad’s F-9 Park, threatening to sue the judge if PTI were to win another election.