Quetta Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan

-FIR was registered at Bijli Road Police Station in Quetta this week alleging PTI Chief of attempt to destroy peace
-Besides, Islamabad Courts grant exemption to Imran Khan in three cases
-LHC suspends PEMRA order banning Khan’s speeches

DM Monitoring

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Quetta on Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the case registered against him under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA).
The judicial magistrate issued the arrest warrant and directed authorities to present the former prime minister in court.
A first information report (FIR) was registered at a police station in Quetta against Khan for the comments he made against state institutions and their officers during a speech on Sunday.
Complainant Abdul Khalil Kakar had registered the complaint at the Bijli Road Police Station against the PTI chief. The FIR included Sections 153A, 124A, and 505 of the PPC and Section 20 of the PECA.
Kakar had alleged that the PTI chief’s statement was an attempt to destroy public peace and order.
In a speech on Sunday, the PTI chief had come down hard on the “state institutions” after a team of Islamabad police had arrived at his Zaman Park residence to arrest him in the Toshakhana case.
The deposed prime minister — who was ousted from power in April last year — vented his rage while addressing party workers and supporters at Zaman Park residence in Lahore who participated in the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” (voluntary arrest movement). In his fiery speech, the PTI chairman said that he had neither kneeled before any institution or person nor would let the nation do so.

Khan said it does not matter if the government places his name on the exit control list (ECL) as he has no intention of leaving the country.

Taking a dig at the leadership of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance, he said that their legs start shaking if their “names are put on the no-fly list”.

Berating the former army chief, Khan alleged that Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa imposed a group of criminals on the country through a conspiracy.

Addressing his party workers and supporters, the former prime minister said that there is no security risk, adding that “they” wanted to “remove” (assassinate) him from the path. The deposed prime minister said that he was being dragged into the courts in fake cases.

Courts in the federal capital Thursday granted one-time exemptions from in-person appearances to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in three separate cases.

The former prime minister — whose government was overthrown in April last year — was scheduled to appear before a district and sessions court, the anti-terrorism court, and the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday suspended Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) order, banning the broadcast of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan’s speeches.

Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza announced the suspension of the order in a verdict he had reserved earlier today. The judge also admitted the PTI chief’s request for the formation of a full bench and sent the case to the LHC chief justice. The judge after announcing the verdict adjourned the hearing till March 13.

On Sunday, Pemra slapped a ban on the live broadcast of the deposed prime minister after he heaped scorn on state institutions amid drama over his arrest from Zaman Park in the Toshakhana case. Subsequently, Khan filed a petition in the LHC for the annulment of the ban, accusing the regulatory authority of exceeding its constitutional powers by imposing the restriction.