Screengrab of Imran Khan’s rally in Rawalpindi
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday submitted his third response to the Islamabad High Court in a contempt of court case, once again avoiding an “unconditional apology,” as had been recommended by legal experts.
“[Imran Khan] realized during these proceedings before the honorable court that [he] might have crossed a red line while making public speech on Aug. 20, 2022. [He] never intended to threaten the honorable judge of the district court and that there was no intention behind the statement to take any action other than a legal action,” read the latest response, adding that the former prime minister was willing to “explain and clarify” to the district and sessions judge that neither he, nor his party, had sought any action against her and was willing to apologize “if she got an impression” that he had crossed a red line.
“The deponent [Khan] wants to assure the honorable court that he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary,” he wrote, adding he was also willing to take any additional steps deemed necessary by the IHC to establish that “he never intended to interfere with the process of the court or impugn the dignity or independence of the judiciary.”
The third response concluded by stating that its contents were “substantially” the same as the remarks he had made before the court during the last hearing on Sept. 22 and that “he stands by and reiterates the said statement and once again assure this honorable court that he would always abide by the aforementioned statement in letter and spirit.”
The latest statement, once again, avoids an “unconditional apology,” opting instead for an apology in case he “crossed a red line.” In his first response, which the IHC had described as “disappointing” and asked him to resubmit, Khan had claimed he had not been aware that Judge Zeba Chaudhry was a member of the judiciary when he voiced threatening remarks about her during a rally in Islamabad on Aug. 20. Without offering any apology, he had said he was willing to “take back” his remarks if they were considered “inappropriate.”
In his second response, submitted on Sept. 7, the former prime minister had once again offered “deep regrets” over his remarks but stopped shy of offering an apology. At this, the IHC had announced it would indict Khan on contempt of court charges in the next hearing. During that hearing, on Sept. 22, Khan had apologized to the IHC “if he crossed a red line,” adding he would not do so again. The court had then postponed the indictment, directing him to submit a written affidavit prior to the next hearing on Oct. 3 (Monday).