Arrest warrant issued against former Pakistan PM Imran Khan for remarks on female judge
An arrest warrant has been issued against former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan. The warrant was issued on Saturday by an Islamabad court in relation to a controversial remark made by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief against a female judge.
The warrants issued are under sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The issuance of the arrest warrant was expedited due to Imran's non-appearance in court. The former prime minister is facing contempt charges for his controversial remarks about additional district and sessions judge.
The charges against Khan are related to what police said was a threat to the Islamabad police chief and a female judge after Khan spoke about police torture of an aide who faces sedition charges for allegedly inciting mutiny in the military.
However, Khan continues to maintain that his words were taken out of context and he didn't threaten anyone.
In an affidavit filed before the court issued the warrant, Imran assured the court that he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary.
According to Pakistani media, Imran stated that he 'might have crossed a red line while making a public speech.'
"The deponent (Khan) never intended to threaten the judge and that there was no intention behind the statement to take any action other than legal action," his response affidavit stated.
While Imran opted for a toned-down approach in his affidavit, he had been taking an aggressive stance in the public, often threatening dire consequences if he was jailed.
"They have been trying to put me in jail for long now. I will be more dangerous if they send me to jail," Imran Khan had said before appearing for a court hearing last month.
