Home Latest News Imran Khan Willing to ‘Take Back’ Remarks about Woman Judge

Imran Khan Willing to ‘Take Back’ Remarks about Woman Judge

In written response to show-cause notice on contempt, PTI chairman shies from offering unconditional apology, maintains he did not intend any offense

by Staff Report

Screengrab of Imran Khan’s rally in Rawalpindi

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday submitted a reply to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over a show-cause notice on contempt charges, maintaining the judges who had decided on the viability of the case should consider recusing themselves as they had, per him, already pre-judged him.

The IHC is set to take up the case for hearing today, with Khan directed to appear in person and argue why contempt charges should not be imposed on him. In his written reply, through Hamid Khan and Barrister Salman Safdar, the ousted prime minister urged the court to withdraw the show-cause notice and dispose of the contempt case, claiming he believed in the rule of law and an independent justice system. “I do not believe in hurting the feelings of judges,” he wrote, adding if his words during a rally earlier this month had been “regarded as inappropriate” he was willing to “take [them] back.”

On Aug. 20, addressing a rally in Islamabad, the PTI chairman had called out female judge Zeba Chaudhry by name for granting police physical remand of his aide, Shahbaz Gill, in a sedition case. His remarks have been described as “threatening,” with a three-member bench of the IHC, led by the acting chief justice, deciding to issue a show-cause over it.

On Aug. 25, the court issued a show-cause notice to the PTI chairman directing him to appear before it in person and justify his remarks. The case would be heard by a larger bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minal­lah, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar.

In his reply, Khan claimed he had mistakenly believed Zeba Chaudhry was an executive magistrate carrying out executive functions on the federal government’s orders and not a sitting judge. The government, he alleged, had been “torturing and violating” the fundamental rights of Gill, and he had been reacting to his “misconception” that this was undertaken by a magistrate.

The reply went on to state that Khan did not intend to threaten the judicial officer or to say anything which brings the administration of law into disrepute, adding no contempt was committed. It also accused the deputy registrar of “selectively” taking parts of his speech to justify the contempt notice.

“These words were taken totally out of context and splashed all over the print and electronic media to give an impression as if the respondent (Imran Khan) intended to take the law into his hands,” read the reply, adding that Khan had actually intended to “raise awareness about the rule of law and fundamental rights,” not belittle the judiciary. It said the respondent had been concerned over “visuals of physical torture” and hearing about “sexual abuse” of Gill in police custody.

According to the written response, the high court might have initiated the contempt proceedings to allay concerns about threats to the subordinate judiciary, but went to say the proceedings were being used by the federal government for “political point-scoring.”

The reply also questioned the initiation of contempt proceedings by the IHC, claiming it lacked the jurisdiction to do so. It said the deputy registrar had “misinterpreted” the law, as he had no authority under the Islamabad High Court Act 2010 or the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 to lodge such a case.

Even though Khan offered to “take back” his words, he stopped shy of tendering an unconditional apology, as had been advised by legal experts who had stressed this was a serious matter that risked the former prime minister being disqualified from holding public office for 5 years if he is found guilty. The court is set to take up the matter today (Wednesday) at 2:30 p.m.

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