Pak HC reserves judgment on plea filed by ex-PM Imran Khan to suspend arrest warrant in Toshakhana case

Islamabad: A Pakistani high court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a petition filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan to suspend the arrest warrant in a corruption case under which police were seeking his arrest that led to pitched battles between the security personnel and his supporters in Lahore. Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.

On March 13, Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal issued an arrest warrant for Imran and instructed the police to present him before the courts on March 18.

Khan, the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has skipped indictment hearings in these cases.

Khan submitted an affidavit through his counsel that he would appear before the high court on the scheduled date.

Chief Justice Amir Farooq observed during the hearing that the court would issue an order to avoid conflict and ensure respect for the courts.

The court reserved the decision without giving a time when it would be announced.

Lahore's Zaman Park area has turned into a battleground after 70-year-old Khan's defiant supporters engaged in pitched battles with policemen on Tuesday to stop them from arresting their leader in the Toshakhana case, resulting in injuries on both sides.

Meanwhile, following a Lahore High Court order, police and other law enforcers withdrew from Khan's home on Wednesday, putting a halt to clashes that had erupted after police tried to arrest him for not appearing in court in the Toshakhana case.

The upscale area where Khan lives remained under siege on Wednesday as the government sent Rangers to aid police teams who struggled on Tuesday to muscle their way through a ring of enraged PTI supporters to arrest the former premier.

According to Khan, he was facing over 80 different cases in various courts across Pakistan.

Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

Since his ouster, Khan has been asking for early elections to oust what he termed an "imported government" led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.