Toshakhana case: IHC raises objections on Imran's warrant suspension plea

Registrar's Office states that biometrics of the former prime minister are missing

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Registrar’s Office on Friday raised objections to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s plea requesting suspension of his non-bailable arrest warrant in the Toshakhana criminal proceeding case.

The former premier’s legal team reached the IHC where his lawyer Khawaja Haris filed the application challenging an Islamabad district and sessions court order that dismissed the party chief’s plea to suspend the arrest warrant.

The petition requested the court to admit the undertaking of the ousted prime minister and to restrain the police from executing the arrest warrant.

“Tomorrow I will appear in the session court of Islamabad myself,” Imran stated in the petition.

Read Toshakhana: Imran eyeing relief from SC

The legal team also requested the court to hear the case today.

However, the Registrar’s Office stated that the biometrics of the former prime minister is missing.

“How can the high court hear a case which has already been objected to?” stated the Registrar’s Office.

Subsequently, the PTI chairman also filed a petition to provide details of the cases against him. However, the Registrar’s Office raised objections to that as well.

Earlier, Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal noted that the warrants could not be suspended on the basis of an undertaking.

The order was announced while hearing the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) reference, which sought criminal proceedings against deposed premier Imran for concealing the details of the Toshakhana gifts he and his wife had retained.

Read more Uneasy calm prevails at Zaman Park

During the proceedings of the case earlier on Thursday, the judge had offered Imran that he would halt attempts by the Islamabad police to arrest him at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore if he surrendered before the court.

The offer came as skirmishes broke out between the Islamabad police and PTI activists when the former reached Imran’s residence.

Both sides battled for two days, with other law enforcement agencies joining the Islamabad police. Calm only returned after judicial intervention.