KARACHI, Oct 17 A court on Friday issued bailable warrants for the arrest of former chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and others after they failed to appear in court as prosecution witnesses in a case relating to an alleged physical attack on Dr Arbab in the Sindh Assembly.

Judicial Magistrate (South) Asif Ahmed passed the order while hearing the case.Agha Javed Pathan has been accused of manhandling the former chief minister in April this year on the premises of the assembly.

The court had already framed charges against Pathan, who pleaded not guilty. Accordingly, 20 prosecution witnesses, including Dr Arbab, were summoned to record their statements. However, none of them responded to the notices issued repeatedly by the court.

On Friday, the judge issued bailable arrest warrants against all the prosecution witnesses and directed the police to produce them in court on Nov 1.

The FIR of the case was lodged by the chief security officer of the Sindh Assembly at the Artillery Maidan police station and the Preedy police arrested Agha Javed Pathan on April 9. Later, he was granted bail.

Meanwhile, civil judge and judicial magistrate-III, South, Ashraf Hussain Khwaja issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of five policemen as they did not appear in court to record their statements as prosecution witnesses in two cases registered against Agha Javed Pathan under the Arms Ordinance and the Control of Narcotic Substances Act.

The court directed the Saddar TPO to produce the witnesses on Nov 1, the next date of hearing.

Pathan was booked in four cases (FIR Nos 199/08, 200/08, 201/08, 202/08) registered by the Preedy police under Section 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 13-D of the Arms Ordinance and Section 6/9-A of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, and under sections 502, 452, 506-B 337-A and F of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the prosecution, Pathan was found in possession of illegal weapons, hashish and a stolen motorcycle.

The hearing of the case relating to the recovery of a stolen motorcycle was deferred till Nov 1 due to preoccupation of judicial magistrate Aurangzeb Alamgir Qazi.