Contempt of court case
\n ISLAMABAD
\nIslamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Wednesday gave another opportunity to former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan to again submit his written response within next seven days in the contempt of court case against him for his remarks against a female judge.
\nWhile responding to the IHC\u2019s show-cause notice, the former prime minister did not offer any apology rather offered to withdraw his remarks \u201cif they were inappropriate\u201d.
\nA five-judge larger bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, and Justice Babar Sattar heard the contempt case against Imran Khan.
\nJustice Athar Minallah remarked that Imran Khan cannot take back his words and the PTI chairman\u2019s written replay has disappointed him (Chief Justice) personally. \u201cThe response that was submitted was not of the stature of a political leader like Khan,\u201d he added.
\nDuring contempt of court proceedings on Wednesday, the IHC CJ maintained \u201cThe subordinate courts are the courts of the common man.\u201d
\nJustice Athar Minallah further said \u201cImran\u2019s written response has disappointed me personally. I was expecting that Imran Khan will admit his mistake. The words uttered cannot be taken back.\u201d
\nHe observed \u201cA large number of people follows Imran Khan so whatever he says should be in guarded words. The written response Imran Khan filed did not reflect this.\u201d During the proceedings, Islamabad Advocate-General Jahangir Jadoon tried to intervene and speak but was stopped by the chief justice.
\nThe top IHC judge remarked that the matter was between the court and the person who has committed contempt of court. The chief justice told Imran Khan\u2019s counsel that this court has been raising the issue of torture since the last four years but your client did not know what he has done.
\nHe said \u201cCitizens\u2019 disappearances are the worst kind of torture about which this court has sent all such cases to the federal cabinet. Alas, you have raised this \u2018torture issue\u2019 with the same spirit during your government.\u201d
\nThe IHC CJ asked the PTI chairman to review his response and submit it again. The lower courts\u2019 confidence would have soared had Imran Khan gone there to tell them that he has trust in them, the CJ remarked.
\nAt the outset of the hearing, Imran Khan\u2019s lawyer Hamid Khan came forward and took the stand. CJ Minallah told him that although he was Khan\u2019s lawyer, he was also there to assist the court. \u201cI did not expect this from you,\u201d the IHC CJ said in response to the reply that the lawyer submitted on behalf of Imran Khan. CJ Minallah noted that a political party should always believe in upholding the law and the constitution. \u201cIn the last 70 years, a common man has not been able to make it to the high courts and the Supreme Court.\u201d
\nThe IHC CJ asked who had control of Adiala Jail \u2014 where PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was imprisoned for a few days. \u201cIf there\u2019s even a small complaint of torture, then can the jail authorities imprison a person without medical examination?\u201d
\nThe IHC CJ went on to say that the PTI should look at the cases of journalists Asad Toor and Absar Alam. He added that during the last three years, the IHC sent such matters to the PTI\u2019s federal cabinet. \u201cI wish they had raised their voice in this regard then.\u201d
\nThe IHC CJ then asked when the high court wrapped up the case of the alleged torture of Gill and when the speech was made. At this, Imran Khan\u2019s lawyer said that the court concluded the case on August 22 and the PTI chairman delivered the speech on August 20.
\n\u201cThe matter was already pending in the IHC while he made the speech.\u201d Earlier, Imran Khan appeared before Islamabad High Court on Wednesday afternoon to attend the proceedings of contempt case against him.
\nImran, who has already submitted his reply to the court\u2019s show-cause notice, appeared personally in the court. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has submitted to the court record of Imran\u2019s speech which he had made at the PTI\u2019s rally at Islamabad\u2019s F-9 Park on August 20, 2022, and at which he had made remarks against a female additional sessions judge.
\nThe IHC has also issued a notice to the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) for assistance in the case. The PTI chairman, in his speech, had said, \u201cGet ready Magistrate sahiba Zeba for the action. All of you who are responsible for keeping party leader Shahbaz Gill in jail should be ashamed of themselves,\u201d he had said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Contempt of court case ISLAMABAD Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Wednesday gave another opportunity to former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan to again submit his written response within next seven days in the contempt of court case against him for his remarks against a female judge. While responding to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[32,2833,2018],"class_list":{"0":"post-280723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-ihc","9":"tag-imran-khan","10":"tag-opportunity"},"yoast_head":"\n