Arrest warrant issued against Imran Khan

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Islamabad’s magistrate issued an arrest warrant against former prime minister of Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan over his controversial remarks against the female judge, a local media reported.

The magistrate of Islamabad’s Margalla Police Station issued the warrant in the case registered on August 20 against the PTI Chief for threatening Additional District and Sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry, Geo News reported.

The FIR includes four sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), according to Geo News.

This arrest warrant came within hours of Imran Khan submitting the affidavit, stating that he had realised he “might have crossed a line” at a public rally on August 20 in the capital, according to local media.

The Express Tribune reported citing the affidavit said that Imran Khan assured the court that he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary.

He also said that he will fully follow what he said before the court in the last hearing and added that he is ready to take further action to satisfy the court in this regard.

The deposed premier further said that he is “willing to apologize” if the judge thinks that he crossed a “red line”.

The FIR, which was registered on August 20, states that he threatened Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and police officers at a rally in F-9 Park to “terrorise” police officials and the judiciary, reported Geo News.

The main aim was to prevent the police officers and judiciary from carrying out their legal obligations, states the FIR. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Magistrate Ali Javed in Islamabad’s Margalla Police Station under Section 7 of ATA.

At a rally at the F-9 park in Islamabad, the PTI chair had warned that he would “not spare” Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate, vowing to file cases against them for allegedly torturing PTI leader Shahbaz Gill.

“We will not spare the IG and DIG,” he said while addressing the rally. The former prime minister called out Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry, who had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police, and said she, too, should prepare herself as the case will also be registered against her, reported Geo News.