Imran Khan’s Arrest Warrant Dropped by Pakistan Judge After Court Appearance

A Pakistani judge dropped an arrest warrant against former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday after the ex-cricket star traveled to court. Khan, who had skipped several hearings, has been embroiled in a slew of court cases since being ousted in a no-confidence motion last year. He has been pressuring the fragile coalition government that replaced him to hold early elections. Khan’s supporters fought with police in Lahore earlier this week when he failed to appear in court over graft charges, citing security concerns. After days of legal wrangling, Khan traveled over 300 km to the Islamabad court complex but was unable to get out of the car. The court accepted his attendance, and the hearing has been adjourned until March 30.

Pakistan’s courts are often accused of stifling political opposition by rights monitors, who say that they are used to tie up lawmakers in lengthy proceedings. Khan claims that authorities want to jail him so that he is unable to campaign for upcoming elections. Pakistan is facing economic difficulties and a worsening security situation, with a series of deadly attacks on police linked to the Pakistani Taliban.