Islamabad police may arrest Imran Khan today

Following court orders to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, Islamabad police will visit Zaman Park in the next 24 hours to apprehend the former prime minister, according to a report.

Notably, a sessions court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan in connection with threatening a female judge at a federal capital court. Khan was charged with threatening judicial magistrate Zeba Chaudhry and police officers at an August 20 rally in F-9 Park, threatening to “terrorise” police officers and the judiciary, according to Geo News.

Earlier in the day, Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim issued a three-page reserved verdict and non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan’s repeated failure to appear.

Instead of attending the hearing, the former prime minister filed a request for an exemption from physically appearing before the judge, requesting permission to join the proceedings virtually via video link, according to Geo News.

Desperate to apprehend him, a police party from Islamabad flew by helicopter to Lahore earlier in the day to arrest the PTI chairman, who was deposed as prime minister last April.

According to sources, several decisions were made during a meeting between Islamabad and Lahore police officials, as law enforcement officers arrived in the city for the second time to arrest Khan.

The meeting’s participants decided that the Islamabad police would be completely supported and it will be ensured that the capital’s cops reach Khan’s Zaman Park residence with no hindrances, sources said.
“Before Islamabad police leave for Zaman Park, they will contact Khan’s chief security officer,” the sources added.

Two courts have issued Khan’s non-bailable arrest warrants in separate cases, however, he has not appeared before them repeatedly — and instead, held a rally in Lahore, where he also announced to hold a “historic” rally this Sunday.

In connection with the Toshakhana case, the capital police had arrived on March 5 as well in Lahore, but they were told that Khan was not at his Zaman Park residence, resulting in them leaving empty-handed, reported Geo News.

A district and sessions court earlier in the day also restored the former prime minister’s non-bailable arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case.

The Islamabad court had earlier reserved its verdict on a petition filed by the former prime minister seeking an exemption from the hearing of the case.

Last week, the IHC suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant for Khan issued by the local court issued due to the PTI chief’s continuous absence.