The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by the PTI to cancel Imran Khan arrest warrant.
In its decision, the court asked the counsel representing Imran to pursue the case with the trial court.
During the hearing, Chief Justice IHC Aamer Farooq observed that the court has given relief to the PTI chief earlier as well, terming the current events unfortunate.
He added that as of now, the party’s application is not fixed for a hearing, and he will hear it once it is fixed.
The learned judge also observed that the court had heard the plea and issued directives, but they were not followed.
Earlier today, Lahore High Court ordered police and Rangers to pause the operation at Zaman Park till 10 AM tomorrow (Thursday).
While hearing the plea, LHC Judge Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh ordered that the operation be stopped until tomorrow at 10 AM. Till then, the verdict by IHC would be announced regarding the plea seeking cancellation of the arrest warrant issued against Imran Khan, the judge remarked.
The PTI had approached the LHC against the police operation, contending that the ‘lives of innocent people were being jeopardised.’
After the Police and Rangers stepped back following the LHC orders, jubilation surfaced at Zaman Park, where PTI workers chanted slogans in favor of their leader and the party.
The petition was filed by PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, in which he claimed that the illegal police operation had been in progress since yesterday and that people had suffered significant injuries due to the use of expired tear gas shells. He also alleged in the petition that law enforcers had used live ammunition, due to which panic spread among the people, and Zaman Park was turned into a battlefield.
He had claimed that police, on the instruction of caretaker government, was hellbent upon Imran’s arrest despite an undertaking, given by Imran, to police officials to ensure his appearance before the court on March 18.
Last week, a Islamabad district and sessions court issued arrest warrants against former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.
