ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday issued a bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in Federal Judicial Complex attack case.
ATC judge heard the case registered against the former prime minister in Ramna Police Station and expressed annoyance over continuous absence of the PTI chairman.
The PTI chief’s counsel Sardar Masroof told the court that PTI chairman did not appear as he was supposed to attend proceedings in Lahore High Court (LHC).
The lawyer also filed an exemption plea on behalf of his client, seeking a one-day exemption from personal appearance in court. The judge ordered Imran Khan to appear before court in the next hearing and adjourned the further proceedings till July 19. The court also issued arrest warrants for other PTI leaders including Farrukh Habib, Hassan Niazi and Shibli Faraz.
In March, the government set up a high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the attack on the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) allegedly by PTI workers during an appearance of the former prime minister
The Islamabad police had lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other PTI leaders for allegedly attacking police officers, destroying property, setting vehicles on fire, and causing chaos in and outside the judicial complex.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah accused Imran Khan of attacking the Federal Judicial Complex with the support of “armed gangs” on February 28 to hinder the courts’ proceedings
The PTI supporters reportedly broke the main gate, entered the complex forcefully, and vandalised the courts. A case was filed in this regard under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other charges at Ramna police station.
