File photo of PTI chief Imran Khan
An Islamabad District and Session Court on Wednesday dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea seeking his acquittal in a case of threatening a woman judge during a public address last year.
Judge Mureed Abbas, announcing a reserved verdict on the plea, said the PTI chief “does not deserve acquittal” in the case. He said Khan’s trial would now commence afresh and adjourned proceedings until Dec. 20.
The Margalla Police registered a terrorism case against Khan in August 2022 after he threatened Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior police officials of dire consequences for their “biased” attitude toward his party during a rally in Islamabad. He had accused her of denying PTI leader Shahbaz Gill—then in jail, and since having fled to the U.S.—bail despite being “aware” of the “torture” inflicted on him while in detention.
Khan had also warned of taking action against the judge and senior police officials if his party returned to power. After the police had registered the case against Khan—on the complaint of Magistrate Ali Javed—he had attempted to have it dismissed by apologizing to her at her court. However, the former prime minister reached the court while the judge was on leave, and had instead told the court’s reader to witness and convey to her his appearance and apology.
Separately, he had also submitted an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court (IHC)—hearing a contempt of court case against him for the controversial remarks—assuring the two-member bench that he would “never do anything in future” that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary.
The IHC, after disagreements between Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, had quashed the terrorism charges against Khan, transferring the case from an Anti-Terrorism Court to a District and Sessions Court.