A district and sessions court in Islamabad extended the suspension of the non-bailable arrest warrant against former prime minister Imran Khan till March 24 in the judge threatening case against him.
When the hearing resumed on Monday, a junior lawyer of Imran Khan requested the court to take a break and wait for a senior lawyer, who was on his way to Islamabad from Lahore. The court then took a break till 11am.
Later, when the hearing resumed again, no lawyer appeared before the court from either side and due to the leave of additional sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gilani, the hearing was adjourned without further proceedings and the suspension of Imran Khan's non-bailable arrest warrant was extended till March 24.
At the last hearing, additional sessions judge Gilani had suspended the arrest warrant of Imran Khan and ordered him to appear before the relevant court by March 20 (today).
On March 13, senior civil judge Rana Mujahid Rahim had issued Imran Khan's non-bailable arrest warrant for repeatedly failing to appear before the court.
The court had issued an order to arrest and produce Imran Khan in court till March 29 for non-appearance.
On March 14, additional sessions judge Gilani had suspended Imran Khan's non-bailable arrest warrant till March 16. Then on March 16, the court had again suspended the arrest warrant and ordered Khan to appear in the relevant court till March 20.
A case had been registered against the former prime minister under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening additional sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior police officers of the Islamabad Police during a public rally in August last year.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had then started contempt of court proceedings against the former prime minister.
Later on, the high court had removed the terror charges and also pardoned the PTI chief after he had tendered an apology in the contempt case.
But a similar case had been filed against the PTI chief — after the registration of the first information report (FIR) against him — and is still pending before the sessions court.
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