A district court in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, has issued an arrest warrant for former Pakistani Prime Minister and chairman of the opposition Justice Movement (JZM) party, Imran Khan. The arrest was issued due to the threats of Mr. Khan against the judge and police officers, writes Dawn. The former Pakistani premier is the defendant in the case of selling gifts to foreign leaders.
As Dawn writes, according to the court decision, Imran Khan should be detained without the right to release on bail and stand trial before March 29. Lawyer Khawaja Haris said his client did not attend the court hearing due to security threats.
As noted by Dawn, the case of insulting the judge and threats concerns the statements of Imran Khan in August 2022. Then, the newspaper writes, he threatened to initiate proceedings against the police and the judge for allegedly torturing DZS member Shahbaz Gill.
On March 5, the police were already planning to arrest Imran Khan at his residence, but the former prime minister was not there.
The ex-premier was planned to be arrested due to missing court hearings in the case of missing gifts from foreign leaders. According to Pakistani law, ministers, the president and the prime minister of the country must transfer gifts received from foreign colleagues to the Toshakhan state vault. However, according to investigators, Imran Khan sold them after his resignation. In addition, the former prime minister became a defendant in three more criminal cases: on terrorism, prohibited financing, and attempted murder.
In April 2022, Imran Khan was ousted from the post of Prime Minister of Pakistan after a vote of no confidence was passed in him. In October, he was removed from the elections and stripped of his right to hold government office for five years. In February 2023, the Islamabad District Court issued an arrest warrant without bail due to persistent absenteeism.
More details – in the material “Kommersant” “Not caught – not Khan.”
