ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), unanimously, discharged the show-cause notice issued to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in the contempt of court proceedings for threatening an additional sessions judge in Islamabad.
The IHC five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb, Justice Babar Sattar, and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jehangri on Monday heard the contempt case against Imran.
The PTI chief appeared before the bench along with his counsel, who informed the bench that the affidavit regarding the matter had been submitted. At the August 20 rally, Imran had warned the female judge of dire consequences, as well as, the judiciary for what he had called its “biased” attitude towards his party.
Last Thursday (September 29), Imran Khan along with his lawyer Babar Awan, went to the District Courts Islamabad to personally apologise to Judge Zeba Chaudhry, where he was informed by the court reader that the female judge was on leave. However, the ex-PM told the reader to tell the judge that he had come personally to apologise to her.
In less than two minutes of proceedings of the IHC, the bench expressed its satisfaction over the conduct of the PTI chairman and the affidavit submitted by him and discharged the notice.
At that Justice Minallah said; “We have read the affidavit.” He asked the counsel is there anything else he would like to add? The CJ said the contempt case is being dismissed due to Imran’s conduct. He further said that they take a lot of care in contempt of court cases. However, he said that the IHC was dismissing the notice issued to Imran effectively, ending contempt proceedings against the PTI chief. He also remarked that this is the unanimous decision of the larger bench. The additional attorney general opposed the court’s decision to dismiss the show-cause notice issued to Imran and referred the cases of Nehal Hashmi, Daniyal Aziz, and Talal Chaudhry.
Justice Minallah asked him you support the judgments in these cases. He then told the AAG to submit his reservations in writing, adding the AAG’s objections would be included in the judgment. The CJ said this is the unanimous decision of the larger bench and announced that the contempt of court notice stands discharged.
Imran Khan, on 1st October, filed an affidavit, wherein, he stated that he had “realised during these (contempt) proceedings before the court that he might have crossed a red line while making [a] public speech on August 20, 2022”. However, he added, he never intended to threaten Judge Chaudhry and “there was no intention behind the statement to take any action other than legal action”.
He said he wanted to assure the IHC that he was willing to explain and clarify before Judge of District Court (Zeba Chaudhry) that “neither he nor his party seeks/ sought any action” against her and he was willing apologise to her “if she got an impression that the deponent (Imran) had crossed a line”.
The PTI chief assured the court that he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary.
He also expressed his willingness to take any further steps that the IHC “deems necessary and appropriate for the satisfaction of the court that he never intended to interfere with the process of the court or impugn the dignity or independence of the judiciary”.
Imran stated that whatever was stated above is substantially the statement made by him before the IHC on the last hearing, i.e., September 22, 2022, and that he stands by and reiterates the said statement and once again assured the Court that he would always abide by the statement, in letter and spirit.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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