Imran Khan to appear before LHC ahead of graft case hearing in Islamabad court
Lahore (PTI): Ousted premier Imran Khan will appear before a Pakistani court here on Friday and provide an assurance that he was ready to present himself on Saturday before the judge handling a corruption case against him.
Khan, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, has been resisting arrest in the Toshakhana case and is holed up inside his Zaman Park residence here surrounded by hundreds of his supporters, who have fought pitched battles with the police and Rangers over the past few days.
"Imran Khan will come to the Lahore High Court himself and assure the judge that he is ready to go to the Islamabad court," PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry told media persons on Friday, adding that "an undertaking has also been given to the court".
Additional District and Sessions Judge in Islamabad Zafar Iqbal had re-issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan on February 28 and directed the capital city police to bring him to court by March 18.
While hearing the case, the judge remarked that Khan should surrender unconditionally before seeking any favour from the court.
Khan has skipped several hearings in the case.
Judge Iqbal on Monday re-issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan and directed the police to bring him to court by March 18.
However, when the police reached Khan'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.
Ahead of the hearing in LHC on Friday, Chaudhry tweeted that both parties had "agreed to resolve the issues" and the agreed solution will be presented in court.
Khan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
According to Khan, he was facing over 80 different cases in various courts across Pakistan.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, Khan has been asking for early elections to oust what he termed an "imported government" led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.
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Ex-army chief Naravane backs RSS leader's remarks on dialogue with Pakistan
Mumbai (PTI): Former army chief Gen (retd) Manoj Naravane on Wednesday supported RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale's stand on the desirability of willingness to have a dialogue with Pakistan, stating that friendship between the two peoples can lead to better bilateral relations.
"Common people live on both sides of the border, with common problems of 'roti, kapda and makan (food, clothing and shelter). Common man has nothing to do with politics. When there is friendship between the two peoples, there will also be friendship between the two nations," Naravane told PTI on the sidelines of an event here.
"It is a right thing. People-to-people contact is important," he added.
People-to-people contact is key to breaking the deadlock with Pakistan and there should always be a window for dialogue, Hosabale said in an interview to PTI Videos on Tuesday. Pakistan's military and political leadership have lost India's confidence and it is time for civil society to lead the way, the RSS leader said.
Naravane said there should be a people-to-people connect between the two countries, be it through 'track two' diplomacy or even a sporting event.
"Even our people should know that those staying across the border are not sworn enemies," the former army chief said.
"Disputes should be resolved through discussion, but this does not mean we cannot use military force. India is a country that speaks the language of peace but we will not hesitate to use force if needed," Naravane added.
VIDEO | Mumbai: On RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale advocating window of dialogue with Pakistan to be kept open, Former Army chief Gen MM Naravane (@ManojNaravane) says, “One important point is that people-to-people connections and contacts are extremely important. Ordinary people… pic.twitter.com/3pMmvynm43
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2026
