Pakistan court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for ex-minister over repeated absence from hearings

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's leader Marriyum Aurangzeb addresses a press conference in Islamabad on August 18, 2022. (APP/File)

• The former information minister was nominated in a case of religious hatred against ex-PM Khan last year
• The warrants were issued due to Aurangzeb’s continuous absence before the hearing was adjourned till Dec. 9

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former information minister and leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, Marriyum Aurangzeb, on Saturday due to her continuous absence in a case involving terrorism charges filed against her last year.
The case was primarily registered in response to a news conference conducted by another PML-N leader, Javed Latif, for “using religion to instigate and propagate hatred” against ex-prime minister Imran Khan.
Lodged by the prayer leader of a local mosque in Lahore, the police complaint said Latif had accused Khan of undermining the core tenets of Islam by supporting the Ahmadiyya community during his tenure in power.
According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, the anti-terrorism court judge asked Latif and Aurangzeb’s lawyers regarding his clients’ whereabout during Saturday’s proceedings and was informed that Latif was there but Aurangzeb was not.
“Consequently, the judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former information minister and directed all suspects named in the case to appear before the court on December 9,” the newspaper reported.
The FIR accused Latif of labeling Imran Khan a non-Muslim, a claim which was said to be made to incite people against the ex-PM and potentially cause law and order disruption.
The police complaint also asserted Latif’s contentious statements were made under the direction of PML-N leadership, including Aurangzeb, who was working as a federal minister back then.
The court will resume its hearing two weeks from now.