Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces arrest warrants in corruption cases
The Islamabad Accountability Court has issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, in connection with corruption and abuse of authority cases. Imran Khan's wife has also been questioned by the National Accountability Bureau. Additionally, Imran Khan has filed a plea with the Supreme Court seeking post-arrest bail in a separate cypher case. The PTI chairman argues that he enjoys immunity and seeks justice and fair play. The warrants were issued at the request of the NAB.
Islamabad Accountability Court has issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in connection with two cases, the Toshakhana and the Al-Qadir Trust cases. The Toshakhana reference case resulted in Imran Khan being disqualified from holding public office for five years by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The Al-Qadir Trust case involves allegations of corruption and abuse of authority and is currently being investigated by the National Accountability Bureau.
The court has ordered the jail superintendent to ensure compliance with the arrest warrants, and the NAB has filed an application for the arrest of Imran Khan. The warrants are expected to be executed in jail today, with Imran Khan being provided with a copy of the warrant and briefed on the reasons for his arrest. Additionally, Imran Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, has been questioned by the NAB in relation to the Al-Qadir Trust case. She appeared in the NAB Rawalpindi office after being summoned. In a separate development, Imran Khan has filed a plea with the Supreme Court seeking post-arrest bail in the cypher case.
The plea challenges the Islamabad High Court's decision to allow interrogation in the case and raises questions about the political motives behind the case and the jurisdiction and intentions of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Imran Khan is seeking the Supreme Court to consider whether the courts that rejected his bail plea took into account the politically motivated nature of the cypher case. The petition also questions the role of the Ministry of Interior and the intentions of the Minister of Interior in relation to the case. The PTI chief argues that he did not violate his oath as Prime Minister and that he enjoys immunity under Article 248.
He is seeking post-arrest bail from the Supreme Court in the interest of justice and fair play. In October, the Islamabad High Court denied Imran Khan's pleas for bail and the cancellation of the FIR in the cypher case. Both Imran Khan and PTI's vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, have been indicted by a special court under the Official Secrets Act and are currently detained at Adiala jail. In the latest development, an anti-corruption court in Pakistan has issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan in two cases related to the Al-Qadir Trust and the Toshakhana gifts. The warrants were issued at the request of the NAB.