Lawyers have said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has made a mockery of the judicial system by defying the arrest and police have done the same by “using disproportionate force and making a spectacle out of” implementing the court’s orders.
Earlier in the day, Additional District and Sessions (ADSJ) Judge Zafar Iqbal said he would stop the Islamabad police from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case if the ex-premier surrendered in court, while urging the party and its political workers to not resist the law.
The judge had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the ex-premier after the PTI chief repeatedly failed to appear before the court.
However, when the police reached Imran’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore to arrest him on Tuesday, they were met with resistance, leading to two-day pitched battles between PTI supporters and law enforcement agencies. The clashes ultimately subsided after the courts intervened on Wednesday.
Imran Khan had claimed that he has secured protective bail from the court till March 1 but police reached to arrest him four days before the hearing. He questioned the legality of the police raid with an arrest warrant before the expiry of his protective bail.
The PTI chief had also said that he is facing threats to his life, therefore, he is reluctant to appear before the court.
But lawyers have dismissed PTI’s claims, calling it an “incorrect reading of the law and a misrepresentation of court orders”.
Legal analyst Abdul Moiz Jaferii told Dissent Today that Imran Khan is making a mockery of the judicial system by disobeying court summons and then refusing to allow police to execute warrants.
“The police are making a similar mockery of this process by using disproportionate force and making a spectacle out of what should be a simple process,” he added.
He also condemned the use of excessive force by police in implementing the court’s orders.
“Excessive force is never justified. Neither can the ignorance of court summons, no matter what the strength of the arguments may be regarding the frivolousness of the cases needing to be answered,” he said.
While responding to a question related to PTI’s claims that warrants are illegal, the lawyer said the party’s claims are not based on facts and are misinterpretations of the court’s orders.
Regarding the legal action court can take against the PTI chief for disregarding its orders, Abdul Moiz Jaferii said that “it will be up to the court to decide whether they want to escalate”. However, he added, in these circumstances, the court typically orders to ensure compliance with the police.
Earlier, in a Twitter thread lawyer Reema Omer also criticised PTI for “propaganda” and making false statements related to the court’s orders.
She shared a screenshot of Islamabad High Court orders related to Imran Khan’s arrest and said that Imran Khan’s arrest warrants were lawful and police reached Zaman Park to arrest him in compliance with the court’s orders.
She also said that Imran Khan defying the arrest was against the law.
Please read IHC order for yourself and don’t fall for PTI propaganda:
1. Trial court issued non-bailable arrest warrant
2. The warrant was lawful and it was incumbent on police to ensure IK’s presence before court
3. IK’s defiance of lawful orders contrary to the rule of law pic.twitter.com/VPjmudBpl7
— Reema Omer (@reema_omer) March 15, 2023
