Imran Khan, the head of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), petitioned the Islamabad High Court to quash the non-bailable arrest warrant that had been issued against him by a trial court in the Toshakhana case. Ali Bukhari, Imran Khan’s attorney, submitted a petition asking for the order to be revoked, contending that it was improper to issue a non-bailable warrant. Imran Khan’s legal team asked for a four-week window during the court proceeding for him to appear before the district court.
Imran requested a four-week extension, but the Chief Judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) refused, emphasising that he could not halt the trial court’s proceedings in order to avoid creating a precedent. Imran’s attorney noted that the problem was with the location of the district court, not the high court, when Judge Farooq asked if Imran’s counsel would attend before the IHC on March 9 for the following hearing. Even after four weeks, the court’s location will not change, according to Judge Farooq. Afterwards, Imran’s attorney said that the court should determine the proper moment. The summary trial had not yet taken place after four months, the advocate general of Islamabad informed the court. The court informed Imran’s attorneys that the next hearing was set for March 9 at 3 p.m.
The Islamabad High Court’s Judge Aamer Farooq reaffirmed his concerns on threats to the safety of judges and highlighted the significance of having faith in Allah (S.W.T. ), as life is a gift from Him. The many people who attend court, he emphasised, all have equally meaningful lives. After hearing arguments from all parties, the IHC Chief Judge highlighted the overcrowding at district courts and reserved a decision. Imran was given another chance by the IHC to choose a date to attend the Toshakhana case hearing at the Islamabad District and Sessions Court. This is a different occurrence. Imran’s attorney alerted the Chief Judge of the Islamabad High Court about security concerns against their client. The Chief Justice, in response, claimed that threats against judges are common and questioned if he should close the court as a result. The CJ also warned Imran’s counsel against making fun of the legal system and asked them to submit a definite date for Imran to appear in court. The CJ refused to suspend the non-bailable arrest warrant issued by the district court despite Imran’s attorney mentioning his security fears and mentioning an earlier attack he had suffered in Wazirabad.
Instead, he agreed to issue a notice for the following day. Imran instructed his lawyers to once again emphasize the security threats he faced and expressed his willingness to appear in court if proper security arrangements were made.