Imran Khan’s arrest warrant was stayed till March 16 in relation to the case involving his contentious comments made against female judge Zeba Chaudhry during a rally in Islamabad.
The ruling was made by a district and sessions court in Islamabad after the former Pakistani prime minister there submitted a plea contesting the arrest warrant.
The appeal of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader was heard by extra sessions judge Faizan Haider Gillani, according to the Pakistani news channel GeoTV.
Khan was given an arrest warrant after frequently failing to appear in court; as a result, a police team used a special aircraft to go to Lahore and make the arrest.
He submitted an exemption plea from physically attending and asked to be permitted to participate in the proceedings through video connection.
Khan must appear before the court on March 29 after the judge rejected the petition.
Intezar Haider Panjotha and Naeem Haider Panjotha, Imran Khan’s attorneys, argued that all of the conditions placed on the PTI leader are bailable during the court sessions on Tuesday. They also contested the arrest warrants.
As he was having trouble understanding the presented papers, the judge also instructed Khan’s attorneys to correct pertinent documents and re-present them to the court.
The government removing his protection, according to Imran Khan’s legal team, was another justification for his not showing up in court. The legal team was instructed by the court to produce the document confirming the removal of Khan’s security.
The judge emphasized that Imran Khan did not come before the court while Imran Khan’s attorneys claimed that he had arrived in the courthouse.
In the Toshakhana Reference case, the government’s prosecutor said, the former prime minister was also called.
Khan may appear in court and get documents of the case, the judge said.
After then, the hearing was postponed until March 16.
On Tuesday night, PTI members have fought with law enforcement as they approached Zaman Park in Lahore to apprehend Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference case.
According to Imran Khan, the Pakistani government has plans to kidnap and kill him.
