Manan Mandokhail:
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QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) suspended the arrest warrants of the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan for two weeks. Mr. Justice Zaheeruddin Kakar of the BHC suspended the order for two weeks on an application submitted by the PTI’s lawyer wing.
A local court in Quetta had issued arrest warrants for PTI Chief Imran Khan for his failure to appear before the court on March 9. PTI Chief was booked by police for inciting ‘hatred’ against state institutions. Khalil Kakar, a resident of Nawan Killi had submitted an application at the Bijli Road police station accusing the PTI chief of inciting ‘hatred’ against state institutions. The police registered a formal FIR against the PTI chief on Mr. Kakar’s application.
“Arrest warrants of the PTI Chief suspended”, Muhammad Asif Tareen, the party’s leader said.
A police team also reached Lahore to arrest PTI Chief Imran Khan. The team comprises senior police officers, a senior police official told this scribe.
Judicial magistrate-1 Bashir Bazai issues arrest warrants for Imran
On Thursday, the court of Judicial Magistrate-1 Bashir Ahmed Bazai issued arrest warrants for Imran on the basis of a first information report (FIR) registered against him at Quetta’s Bijli Road police station.
The magistrate had also instructed the police to arrest the PTI chief and present him in court. Following the court orders, a police team was constituted, comprising SSP Investigation Muhammad Umar, DSP CIA Abdul Sattar Achakzai, Inspector Abdul Hameed and others.
PTI lawyer plea before the BHC
The President of the PTI lawyers forum, Syed Iqbal Shah advocate pleaded before the court that the FIR registered at the Bijli Road Police station was not valid since it does not fall within the jurisdiction of the said police station.
Mr. Shah mentioned that the Balochistan police had no legal justification to lodge an FIR against the PTI chief here and demanded of the court to make sure provision of an immediate remedy.
Subsequently, the BHC judge Mr. Justice Zaheeruddin Kakar ordered the suspension of the arrest warrants of the PTI chief for two weeks.
