IHC decides to initiate contempt of court’s proceedings against Imran Khan for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD, August 22 (SABAH): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has decided to initiate contempt of Court proceedings against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan for threatening remarks against Additional Session Judge Islamabad Zeba Chaudhary.
All judges of the Islamabad High Court unanimously decided after consultation, to initiate the proceeding.
A larger bench of the IHC headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani and comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar will take up the suo motu case against Imran Khan today (Tuesday).
Meanwhile Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Chaudhry Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon Advocate and Secretary SCBA Wasim Mumtaz Malik welcomed IHC’s decision to constitute a larger bench to initiate proceedings against the contempt of court committed by former prime minister Imran Khan.
Ahsan Bhoon condemned the way Khan addressed Additional Sessions Judge Chaudhry calling his threats an attempt to undermine the dignity and prestige of judiciary.
“His conduct also exposed how much he cares about the respect and reverence of honorable judges,” Bhoon said, adding that the top court’s bar association cannot turn a blind eye toward such “malicious acts”.
He said that the bar respects disagreement with judgments, but no one is free to harm the respect and dignity of judges.
“Let no one be mistaken that SCBA in particular and the entire legal fraternity in general, will not allow anyone to sabotage the dignity and repute of our institutions, especially judiciary,” the statement released by the SCBA read.
Earlier on last Saturday, Imran Khan while addressing the rally held in favour of Dr. Shahbaz Shabbir Gill at F-9 Park said that his party was going to file cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, IG Islamabad and female judge.
The former prime minister lauded his workers, saying that people have come out in large numbers on 24 hours notice. Regarding the matter of Dr. Shahbaz Gill, the PTI Chairman said that his party will go to the Supreme Court
Comparing the current situation of the country with the era of Genghis Khan, the former prime minister said that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Fazlur Rehman and Khawaja Asif made stronger statements as compared to Shahbaz Gill.
Imran claimed that Shahbaz Gill was captured and tortured to send a message and scare people that if he can be mentally broken then anyone can, adding that a private channel was shut down to throttle freedom of speech, adding that by shutting down the private channel, fear has been spread among other channels.
“If we bow our heads to the idol of fear, we will be left with the sole option of slavery,” the PTI chairman said. Imran further said that in his 26-year political career, he is seeing such an enlightened nation for the first time. The former prime minister said that the sleeping nation has woken up for the first time.
The former prime minister said, “Although we got independence from Britain, today thieves have been imposed on us through foreign conspiracy.” Imran further said that on May 25, police and rangers fired tear-gas shells during a peaceful protest.
Challenging the coalition government, Imran Khan said that whatever the government does, it will not stop the masses, because people want freedom. The former premier claimed that tactics have been used to intimidate social media activists.
Imran Khan said his party will not spare Islamabad’s IG and DIG, saying a vulnerable person was tortured. The former prime minister said they are reluctant to arrest JUI-F chief Fazl.
On the other hand, the PTI chairman was booked for threatening Islamabad police officers and female magistrate under Section 7 of anti-Terrorism act (ATA) regarding his statements at the PTI rally.
Margalla police had registered a case under the complaint of Magistrate Saddar Islamabad Ali Javed against the former prime minister on charges of hate speech in an attempt to disturb the peace.
According to the FIR, he threatened and terrorized state organs and tried to pressurize the judiciary and the police. During the rally, he threatened the Islamabad IG, a woman magistrate, and the DIG, the FIR added.