IHC accepts Imran’s apology in contempt of court case
The Islamabad High Court is dismissing the notice issued to the ex-pm, effectively ending contempt proceedings against him. This is the unanimous decision of the larger bench: Justice Minallah
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed the show-cause notice issued to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for his controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry at an Aug.20 public rally.
A larger bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Minagul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Babar Satar, issued the order.
Imran’s lawyer told the court that a third reply had been submited to the court by the PTI chief.
“We have read your affidavit. Is there anything else you would like to add?” Justice Minallah asked Imran and said that prima facie this was a contempt of court case but it was being dismissed due to Imran’s conduct.
“We take a lot of care in contempt of court cases,” Justice Minallah said and added that the IHC was “dismissing” the notice issued to Imran, effectively ending contempt proceedings against the PTI chief. “This is the unanimous decision of the larger bench,” he remarked.
However, the atorney general opposed the court’s decision to dismiss the show-cause notice and pointed to the cases involving Nehal Hashmi, Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry, the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) leaders.
“Are you saying you support the judgements in these cases?” Justice Minallah asked and subsequently told the atorney general to submit a writen copy of his reservations in the court.
Imran later told reporters that Justice Minallah has taken great decisions in the past.
He also said that he would appear before the court if needed as he had done in the past. Imran reached the court amid tight security.
PTI leaders Asad Umar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi also arrived at the Islamabad High Court.
Imran, a former cricket star turned politician who became prime minister in 2018, is still facing multiple cases, including defying a ban on rallies in Islamabad and issuing verbal threats to police.
Imran was ousted through a no-confidence vote in April and since then, he has been leading rallies to pressure the government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to agree to snap elections.
Imran claims his government was toppled by Shahbaz under a US plot.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said that his Pakistan Muslim League-q (PML-Q) will continue to support Imran in future.
He told reporters that the focus of his politics was improving people’s lifestyle. “I always worked with noble intentions to give maximum relief to impoverished people,” he said, adding that he had never indulged in vindictive politics like the PML-N and set positive political traditions.
“Imran is the most popular leader of Pakistan. We sided with him and would continue to do so,” Elahi said and added that he had always taken along the whole team instead of staging a one-man show.
He said the federal government was making a useless effort of lodging pety cases. “[Interior Minister] Rana Sanaullah will get life imprisonment in the Model Town case. He will be caught in such a manner that he will not be able to escape.”
Elahi said that he had spent 22 years with the PML-N and knew its politics. “They only know how to lodge false cases. They can neither do anything nor are capable of delivering. They did nothing for the poor,” he claimed.
He said that he did not have any contact with Asif Ali Zardari for quite some time.
“If anyone is nabbed, then other members of the gang will flee,” he said, without clarifying.
The chief minister said that no mater how many cases were lodged against Imran, they would be disappointed and ashamed, adding that nothing would happen ater the cases.
“Punjab will continue to run and is running excellently even if the federal government takes away all officers. I know how to run the province.”
He said the River Ravi Urban Development Project is our flagship programme and “we will not spare the people who grabbed its land. Old land grabbers will be taken to task and the Punjab government’s land will be reclaimed.”