ISLAMABAD: A trial court of Islamabad hearing the Toshakhana case against former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan issued a non-bailable arrest warrant over his absence from the court hearing despite several orders.

The former prime minister who had arrived in Islamabad to appear before the courts in a number of cases registered against him secured bail in three cases — prohibited funding case (Banking Court), terrorism charges (trial court) and attempt to murder (Islamabad High Court).

However, luck did not smile on him in Toshakhana case and he now faces arrest in the same.

Security was tight in and around the Judicial Complex as well as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) where Imran appeared for hearing. Clashes between the police and PTI workers as well as media persons were also witnessed during the former Prime Minister’s appearance in the IHC.

In the Toshakhana case, on the last date of hearing, the district session court adjourned the case on the request of Imran Khan’s counsel who had had submitted that his client had serious security threat to his life and since the attack on his life in November last year, he had been staying at his home in Lahore.

According to the counsel, Imran Khan had sustained a gunshot in his leg therefore it was not possible for him to appear before the court in person.

On Tuesday, as the court resumed hearing, Imran’s counsel submitted that his client should be exempted from hearing because he had to appear in several other courts.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) counsel opposed the request, saying the PTI chief did not want to appear before the court. “It is not the court’s concern how far the party head is travelling from to reach the court.”

He also told the court that Imran could also appear before the court if he was coming to the judicial complex.

District & Session Judge Zafar Iqbal after hearing the arguments from both sides issued non-bailable warrant for the former Prime Minister and adjourned hearing until March 7.

Terrorism case

In another case related to terrorism charges, Antiterrorism Court (ATC) Judge Raja Jawad Abbas approved Imran Khan’s interim bail until March 9. The case pertained to violent protests outside the ECP.

The terrorism case was filed against Imran in October 2022 by Islamabad Police after PTI workers took to the streets and held demonstrations outside ECP offices across the country after it disqualified the former prime minister in the Toshakhana reference.

Prohibited funding case

In the case pertaining to allegedly receiving the prohibited funds, Imran Khan was granted bail. The Banking Court judge Rakhshanda Shaheen confirmed his bail.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a case against him for allegedly receiving prohibited funding.

The ECP, in a unanimous judgement in August 2022, had announced that the PTI received prohibited funding. The case was earlier referred to as the “foreign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTI’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case.

Attempt to murder case

Imran Khan was granted bail in an attempt to murder case also. Imran Khan reached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to appear before Chief Justice Amer Farooq’s court. The court after a brief hearing granted him bail in that case. The case was filed against Khan on the complaint of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha last year at the Secretariat Police Station in the federal capital.

The case was filed a day after Ranjha was allegedly attacked outside the ECP office where PTI workers and supporters were protesting the electoral body’s verdict that resulted in the disqualification of their party chief in the Toshakhana case.