Temporary Relief For Former PAK PM Imran Khan
Islamabad: Balochistan High Court (BHC) has given temporary relief to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and suspended his non-bailable arrest warrant for two weeks issued by a local court in a hate speech case registered in Quetta pertaining to inciting the public against state institutions.
This comes amid the arrival of a Quetta police team in Lahore to arrest the PTI chairman. The Quetta judicial magistrate issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the PTI chief following a case registered at the Bijli Ghar police station, Geo News reported.
The case was filed against Imran Khan under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA) for maligning national institutions. The Balochistan police registered a case against the PTI chairman on the complaint of a citizen – named Abdul Khalil Karak.
Justice Zaheer-Ud-Din Kakar of the BHC heard the plea filed by Iqbal Shah of the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ISF) on behalf of the PTI chief, as per Geo News reports.
The plea maintained that the offense wasn’t committed in the jurisdiction of Bijli Police Station where the case had been registered and requested the court to dismiss the FIR.
While suspending the arrest warrant, Justice Kakar also issued a summons for the Balochistan police chief, SP legal and the station house officer of the Bijli Police Station. The hearing was then adjourned for two weeks, reported Geo News.
In the 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).
Khan said that he had neither kneeled before any institution or person nor would let the nation do so. Imran Khan is facing a total of 37 cases filed against him in different parts of the country, reported The News International.
These include litigation, police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cases, and also proceedings launched by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the PTI chief.
(With ANI inputs)
(Courtesy: live mint)
