Another non-bailable arrest warrant issued for Pakistan's ex-premier

KARACHI, Pakistan

A Pakistani court on Monday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Imran Khan for continuously skipping the hearings, according to court records and local media.

An Islamabad district court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former premier for repeatedly skipping hearings of a case which accuses him of threatening a female judge who had granted him police remand of his close aide, Shahbaz Gill, in a case last year.

Meanwhile, another Islamabad district court restored a suspended arrest warrant for Khan in connection with the illegal purchase and sale of gifts given by foreign dignitaries while he was in office.

Originally, the warrant was issued in February, but the Islamabad High court suspended it last week and ordered Khan to appear before the court on March 13.

However, the cricketer-turned-politician instead preferred to lead an election rally in the northeastern city of Lahore on Monday.

The police earlier failed to arrest Khan amid resistance from his supporters at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Feb. 5.

Khan, the country's only premier who was ousted through a no-trust vote in Pakistan's 75-year checkered political history, is facing a slew of cases against him, ranging from terrorism to attempted murder and money laundering.

Most of the cases, which Khan dubs a "sham," were lodged after his ouster.

Khan, 70, blames his unceremonious ouster on a US-backed conspiracy, the allegation that the incumbent coalition government in Islamabad and Washington have repeatedly refuted.

He narrowly escaped assassination while leading an anti-government march toward Islamabad in November. Since then, he has been residing in his residence in Lahore and has frequently skipped court hearings on health and security grounds.