Arrest warrant issued for former Pakistani premier Imran Khan

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – A Pakistani court has issued an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan for threatening a female judge at a public meeting in August.

The warrant was issued by a magistrate in the capital Islamabad after the former premier failed to appear before him for a hearing.

Khan had initially been booked under the country’s anti-terrorism law. However, the Islamabad High Court later ordered the revocation of terror-related clauses in the case.

The high court also ordered the cricketer-turned-politician to appear before the magistrate, which he failed to do.

There was no immediate word from the government on whether the ex-premier would be arrested, although the Islamabad police did not receive any such order.

In his speech during a rally on August 20, Khan had said he would take legal action against Islamabad’s police chief, as well as a judicial official who had ordered the physical remand of his senior party official Shehbaz Gill.

Gill is facing sedition charges for remarks that allegedly aimed to incite mutiny within Pakistan’s powerful military.

Khan is also facing a contempt of court hearing in the Islamabad High Court for “threatening” the female judge.

Since his ouster from power in a no-confidence vote in April, Khan has staged a series of anti-government rallies and called for early elections, which are otherwise due in late 2023. In his public meetings and rallies, Khan has spoken against the country’s civil and military institutions.