-Verdict comes day after Islamabad Police’s attempt to arrest PTI Chief from his Zaman Park residence
-Besides, Imran moves Court over PEMRA ban on his speeches
-Petitioner says ban is ‘violation of basic human rights’
-Accuses Media Watchdog of violating PEMRA Ordinance 2002
-Plea seeks annulment of ban on broadcast of Khan’s speeches
-Former CJP Saqib Nisar says SC’s ‘Sadiq and Ameen’ judgement did not cover all aspects of Imran’s conduct
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court of Islamabad on Monday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s plea seeking the suspension of the non-bailable arrest warrant issued for him in the Toshakhana case.
Additional Session judge Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict he had reserved earlier in the day after a brief hearing of the case.
During yesterday’s hearing, Khan’s lawyers Ali Bukhari, Qaiser Imam and Gohar Ali Khan appeared before the court.
Bukhari contended that his client has always followed court orders. While Imam argued that if Imran Khan is willing to appear then the police cannot arrest him.
At this, the judge remarked that the PTI chief could have approached the Islamabad High Court for the suspension of the warrant.
However, Imam told the judge that they want the sessions court to suspend the warrant. While Bukhari added that the PTI chief was at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
“Imran Khan wants to know a way he can appear in court,” said Bukhari. Imam added that a private complaint was reg-istered against the PTI chief under the Election Act 2017.
He argued that usually arrest warrant are not issued on a pri-vate complaint and urged the court to suspend the warrant.
The judge remarked that the PTI chief’s lawyer had informed them that their client will not appear in court. The judge then reserved the verdict on the petition. On February 28, Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued the former prime minister’s non-bailable arrest warrant for continuously failing to appear before the court in the Toshakhana case.
As per court orders Islamabad Police team on Sunday, led by a superintendent of police, had visited Zaman Park to implement the arrest warrant. But failed to do so. The PTI chief has also approached the Lahore High Court today for post-arrest bail in the case.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Monday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking annulment of a ban on the broadcast of his speeches and press talks by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
A day earlier, the media watchdog, in view of his “provocative statements against the state institutions and their offic-ers”, imposed the ban on broadcasting live and recorded speeches of the deposed prime minister on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.
The ban was imposed hours after the ousted premier — removed from power via a no-confidence move in April last year — delivered a hard-hitting speech outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore following a police team’s arrival there to arrest him in the Toshakhana case.
The petitioner accused the regulatory authority of exceeding its constitutional powers by banning the speeches of the PTI chief on TV channels.
“PEMRA’s orders are illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution,” read the plea.
The media regulatory authority issued the order by violating PEMRA Ordinance 2002, it added.
Terming the ban a “violation of basic human rights”, the petitioner pleaded with the court to declare the PEMRA’s or-der null and void.
Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court’s registrar office raised objection to the petition, saying the petitioner did not en-close an attested copy of the PEMRA ban.
LHC’s Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will hear arguments on the objection raised by the registrar office to Imran Khan’s application on Tuesday (tomorrow).
It is pertinent to mention here that Khan came under the PEMRA’s restriction for the third time on Sunday.
Last year in August, the regulatory authority imposed such restriction on Khan speeches but the ban was lifted on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on September 6.
In November last year, the PTI leader’s speeches were again banned but the restrictions were withdrawn by the fed-eral government on the same day.
Separately, Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday said that the Supreme Court had not de-clared Imran Khan “sadiq and ameen” (truthful and honest) unreservedly and in all aspects of his conduct in its 2017 verdict in favour of the PTI chief.
In December 2017, Nisar, who was heading the top court at the time, had rejected PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi’s peti-tion for Imran’s disqualification on allegation of not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The verdict was seen as an endorsement of Imran’s character by the then Supreme Court bench and worn as a pro-verbial badge of honour by the PTI chief.
