Pakistani court cancels arrest warrant against Imran Khan in Toshakhana case as PTI workers clash with police

Imran Khan: A Pakistani judge on Saturday cancelled former prime minister Imran Khan's arrest warrants in the Toshakhana corruption case. The court allowed him to go home without indicting him, even as his supporters clashed with the police outside the court complex.

Khan arrived at the Islamabad Judicial Complex from Lahore to appear before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal to attend proceedings on a complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his assets declarations.

Imran’s in-person presence

Judge Iqbal waited for hours for the 70-year-old chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to reach the court. He agreed with the suggestion by his lawyer to get Imran’s signature on the attendance sheet in his vehicle to comply with the court orders of in-person presence.

The judge allowed Imran Khan to go back to Lahore after marking his attendance outside the Islamabad Judicial Complex where he was set to be indicted in the Toshakhana case.

"The situation as it is, the hearing and appearance cannot proceed that is why all those who have gathered here should disperse after marking attendance. There is no need for shelling or pelting, the hearing cannot be held today,” the judge was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

Judge Iqbal also cancelled the arrest warrants issued against Imran in the Toshakhana case and adjourned the hearing till March 30 due to the chaos following clashes between police and PTI workers.

Teargas, stone pelting in court

The people inside the courtroom were facing difficulties due to the effects of the teargas while PTI party workers pelted stones at the court complex.

Senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed to the media that all legal formalities regarding Khan's appearance in the court had been fulfilled and he was leaving the premises. Thus, Khan went away without his indictment in the case.

Khan earlier reached the court premises but his efforts to reach the courtroom were thwarted due to the deteriorating law and order situation.

Khan had warned in a video message that he was expecting an attempt to arrest him.

Television coverage banned

Pemra – the electronic media watchdog- had banned television coverage of the Judicial Complex and political rallies.

"Another day in life of Pakistan has passed without catastrophe. […] Narrow escape. Any major accident could have happened,” tweeted President Arif Alvi, who belongs to Khan's party. He called on all politicians to work together to take the country out of its current issues.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz said Imran Khan was a “jackal who is scared of getting arrested which is why he is refusing to come outside of his car.”

Clashes between supporters, police

Earlier, clashes erupted between security forces and Khan's supporters outside the judicial complex ahead of his appearance before the court.

Islamabad police chief Akbar Nasir Khan told the media that Khan's supporters resorted to violence, pelted stones at the police and also set on fire a police picket.

"Our force is tackling the situation with patience," he said, adding that Khan was just five minutes away from driving to the court.

Stringent security measures were implemented outside the judicial complex in Islamabad’s G-11, where Khan appeared.

Khan has been in the dock for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, he received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.

Meanwhile, over 10,000 armed Punjab police personnel launched a major operation at Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore and arrested dozens of workers of his party and claimed to have seized weapons and petrol bombs, hours after he left for Islamabad.

Operation at Imran’s residence

The police launched the "grand operation" at Khan's Zaman Park residence here and removed all camps, and barricades erected there by the party activists to prevent his arrest in the Toshakhana case.

During the operation, 61 workers of the party were arrested and about 10 PTI workers and three policemen were injured.

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