A Pakistani judge has ordered the arrest of Imran Khan.
A Pakistani judge has ordered the arrest of Imran Khan.
SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — A Pakistani anti-terror court has ordered police to arrest politician and former star cricketer Imran Khan, as well as cleric Tahirul Qadri by Nov. 17, in connection with an attack on the Pakistan Television headquarters during an anti-government protest in 2014.
The orders came directly from the Islamabad court itself during the regular hearing of the PTV attack case after police failed to carry our arrest warrants issued earlier.
Judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi conveyed his disappointment in police for their failure to enforce the court’s orders the first time around.
Further, Zaidi ordered that Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, and firebrand cleric and chief of Pakistan Awami Tehrik Tahirul Qadri should be arrested and presented in the court by Nov. 17 along with 68 supporters of the two parties who were involved in the attack.
The attack took place in Sept. 2014 when Khan and Qadri were protesting in Islamabad against alleged poll rigging and demanding removal of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. At the height of the protest, about 400-500 supporters of the two invaded Pakistan Television headquarters and forced it to cease transmission.
It was the first time that the state television station was taken off air since the 1999 military coup by Pervez Musharraf, who toppled the Sharif-led government.
The latest orders by the court come amid Khan launching another protest on Nov. 2 to force Sharif step down over the issue of alleged corruption.
