Chairman PTI apologizes again in female judge threatening case

ISLAMABAD, July 19 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan Wednesday issued an apology, again, in the district and sessions court pertaining to the case of threatening a female judge, Zeba Chaudhry.

Imran Khan’s apology came during his appearance at the court of Judicial Magistrate Islamabad, Malik Aman, amid the hearing of the case.

Just months after his ouster in April 2023, the former prime minister gave a fiery speech directed towards Islamabad’s top police officials and judge Zeba Chaudhry threatening not to “spare” them and file cases against them for “torturing” his party leader Shahbaz Gill.

Imran Khan had particularly named Zeba Chaudhry during his political rally held at the F-9 park in Islamabad.

During the hearing, the PTI chief maintained that he was apologetic when he visited the said judge’s court earlier.

“I went to the court of the female judge and said that if my statement offended anyone, I apologise,” Khan told Judge Aman while on the rostrum.

Over a month after making the threats, the PTI chairman went to the judge’s courtroom to offer an apology. But the police closed the room of the female judge and told him that she was on leave.

“I have come to apologise to judicial magistrate Zeba Chaudhry,” Khan told the court reader to convey his message to the judge and bear witness to his arrival.

Meanwhile, at the district and sessions court in the federal capital on Wednesday, he spoke about seeking legal action in a passionate speech and expressed regret over his statement. “I apologise if I crossed the line.” The former premier maintained he hasn’t broken a single pot to date.

“I formed a political party for the supremacy of justice 27 years ago, I have not broken a single pot to date,” Khan said.

Meanwhile an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday extended the bail of the PTI chairman in three cases relating to violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) until July 26.

After being accused of leading mobs, the former premier was booked by the capital’s Ramna police in two cases in early March.

A third case was filed against him by the Golra police station for allegedly causing unrest outside the FJC when he went there on March 18 for a Toshakhana case hearing.

During the last proceedings, the ATC had issued bailable arrest warrants for the PTI chief and summoned him on July 19. The hearing was conducted by ATC Judge Abul Hasnaat Muhammad Zulfikar today.

The PTI chief later reached the courtroom along with his legal team led by Salman Safdar.

At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked the police to declare the suspect innocent if he was innocent or present any evidence they had.

The judge warned them that if the investigation was not conducted properly, he would personally summon the police inspector general.

The PTI chairman’s lawyer argued that the former prime minister had been wrongly implicated in the case. He added: “If there is nothing against him, then let us know, and we will withdraw our bail plea.”

He also expressed concern about the police serving as both the complainant and investigator in the cases.

The judge briefly called the PTI chief to the rostrum as both sides furnished their arguments. After considering the arguments, the court granted bail to the former premier in three cases until July 26.