ISLAMABAD: PTI chief Imran Khan should again submit a written reply in seven days, the Islamabad High Court ruled on Wednesday while hearing the contempt of court case against the former premier and adjourned the hearing of the case till September 8.
Imran Khan faces charges of threatening a judge during a speech at the Rawalpindi rally. The five-member larger bench, comprising IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Babar Sattar, heard the case at 2:30pm in which the PTI chief was asked to appear in person.
The court in its written order said that it found the PTI chairperson’s reply in the contempt of court case to be unsatisfactory.
“The learned counsel for the respondent sought further time to file a supplementary reply to the show-cause notice as pleaded in the provisional reply. For this purpose, he has sought a period of one week. Let the supplementary reply be filed within seven days,” the order said.
The court appointed Munir A Malik, Makhdoom Ali Khan and the Pakistan Bar Council as amicus curiae.
“The learned counsel for the respondent/alleged contemnor shall provide copies of the supplementary reply in advance to the learned Attorney General for Pakistan as well as the learned Amici Curiae,” it added.
PTI chief Imran had appeared in the court with his lawyers Hamid Khan, Shoaib Shaheen and Niazullah Niazi. Attorney general, additional attorney general and advocate general also appeared in court.
“Whatever you have to write down, write it down carefully,” IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said.
The high court ordered that copies of the written replies should be submitted to the amicus curiae.
“You accuse us that judiciary stands at 130th position. We told [PTI leader] Fawad Chaudhry in a case that such a number was not of the judiciary but executive,” the chief justice said.
The CJ advised the state’s representative to review sedition and treason cases, adding that the court ordered maintaining police order and the federal government resisted it.
Justice Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan had been given another chance to submit his reply in the contempt of court case, adding that Imran Khan should Keep in mind the sensitivity of the case and then should submit his reply.
The contempt of court hearing could have been completed today but “because of this answer it cannot be completed,” Justice Aurangzeb added.
The chief justice said that the change would come after all institutions would work according to the constitution. “Do you know what had happened to Matiullah Jan,” he questioned.
“All judicial proceedings will be kept transparent. It is necessary to follow the decisions of the Supreme Court on contempt of court cases,” the CJ remarked.
Meanwhile, Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon said that IHC has given its verdict on the torture case of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, adding that he could present the record of all Imran Khan’s statements on it.
Chief Justice Minallah while stopping the AGP, said that the case was between the court and the person accused of alleged contempt of court.
The CJ said that Imran Khan gave a statement against the judge when a hearing was being presided over in the court. “Those who criticized the institutions under the PECA Ordinance would not get bail till six months,” he observed.
After the hearing, the court granted Imran Khan seven days to re-submit his answer and adjourned the hearing till September 8.
Earlier the Islamabad police have made fool proof security arrangements at the IHC for the PTI chairman and only those holding entry pass were allowed to enter the premises of the court.
Last hearing
Imran Khan has offered to withdraw his words. “I don’t believe in hurting the sentiments of the judges,” he said earlier. “I am ready to withdraw the words if they were inappropriate. The court should examine the speech in context. I have followed the law and the constitution throughout my life. It is insulting.” He argued that the court’s show cause notice should be withdrawn.
Imran Khan submitted his response earlier on through Shoaib Shaheen Advocate, Barrister Salman Safdar and Faisal Chaudhary Advocate.
He said that the terrorism case registered against him was baseless, therefore the case should be dismissed.
On August 23, a larger bench of the IHC issued a show-cause notice to Imran Khan and summoned him in person on August 31, in contempt of court case pertaining to his threatening remarks about Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.
A case was registered against the former prime minister under the anti-Terrorism act at the Margalla police station in the federal capital for threatening the judiciary and senior police officers.
