New developments and tensions in the Toshakhana case

16.03.2023

Julija Stavar 

Team Pakistan Intern, 

Global Human Rights Defence

The former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing charges in different legal cases, including a graft case linked to his term in office, known as Toshakhana case, for which he has to appear in court in the capital Islamabad. His lawyers asked to suspend the warrant for him to appear in court, which was rejected as “Khan had forfeited some of his rights with ‘his defiance of the court process’,” the judge Zafar Iqbal explained (Dogar & Ahmed, 2023).

He was supposed to appear in the session court by March 13 already, which Khan skipped so a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued to bring him to court by March 18 (Burney, 2023). However, the Lahore High Court extended a pause in the arrest until Friday as clashes in the city erupted when the police tried to detain Khan (Dogar & Ahmed, 2023). The tensions began earlier this week with a group of about 1000 supporters of the ex-PM amassed outside of his residence and fought back the officers who tried to arrest him (Dogar & Ahmed, 2023). The protesters, armed with batons and sling-shots, torched police and other vehicles, and hurled petrol bombs, while the police forces were firing tear gas and rubber bullets (Reuters, 2023). As a result of the violent clashes, Imran Khan and other members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party have been charged with attempted murder and terrorism (“Imran charged with terrorism, attempted murder in violent police raid on home,” 2023).

Sources:

Burney, U. (2023, March 16). Islamabad court rejects Imran’s plea seeking suspension of arrest warrants in Toshakhana case. Dawn. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.dawn.com/news/1742489/islamabad-court-rejects-imrans-plea-seeking-suspension-of-arrest-warrants-in-toshakhana-case 

Dogar, B. & Ahmed, M. (2023, March 16). Pakistan court rejects ex-PM Khan’s plea to suspend warrant. AP News. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-court-pauses-arrest-khan-clashes-bdc09d981901d3f191699b0070a266e9 

Imran charged with terrorism, attempted murder in violent police raid on home. (2023, March 16). Pakistan Today. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/03/16/imran-charged-with-attempted-murder-in-violent-police-raid-on-home/

Reuters. (2023, March 16). Pakistan court to police amid clashes: Postpone Imran Khan's arrest. The Hindustan Times. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-court-to-police-amid-clashes-postpone-imran-khan-s-arrest-101678951311841.html