QUETTA: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court has upheld the arrest warrants of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and rejected his petition to suspend the warrants.

A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Amir Nawaz Rana, on Thursday took up Mr Khan’s petition against the arrest warrants issued by an anti-terrorism court in connection with the murder of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar.

The petition, filed by Iqbal Shah advocate on behalf of Mr Khan, in the Balochistan High Court pleaded that after the registration of FIR, his client got a protective bail from the IHC till June 19.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court heard the petitioner’s counsel and later rejected the plea. The court, in its order, said the murder investigation was ongoing and the provincial government had constituted a JIT to probe the issue.

Officials said the Quetta Anti-terrorism Court issued warrants the other day as police approached the court to arrest Mr Khan after the protective bail granted by the IHC ended.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023