Pakistan news: Pakistan's top court issued a show cause notice to former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) leader, Imran Khan on Tuesday. He was summoned by the court for passing controversial remarks against a female judge and a police official at a rally held in Islamabad.
Khan was also asked by a three-member bench of the Islamabad High Court to personally appear before the bench on August 31. The bench was headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and consisted of Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
The court on Monday constituted a larger bench to initiate contempt of court proceedings against 69-year-old Khan for "threatening" Additional Sessions, Judge Zeba Chaudhry, during his speech in Islamabad on Saturday.
Justice Kayani termed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's remarks 'inappropriate' and said the case is not only confined to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) but the message is going to the highest level, adding that people on social media should be controlled.
"Imran is consistently giving remarks against the judiciary and the ECP. This should come to a stop," he said. Justice Mian Gul added that Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry will be provided security.
What had happened at the rally?
At a rally in Islamabad’s F-9 park on Saturday, Khan had threatened to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector general of police and deputy inspector general of police and declared: “We won’t spare you.” He then warned the judiciary against its “biased” attitude towards his party, saying that it should brace itself for the consequences.
On just this, Khan also warned additional district and sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry that she would also face dire consequences. Chaudhry approved two-day physical remand of Khan's aide Shahbaz Gill’s at the request of the Islamabad Police. Gill was arrested last week on charges of sedition. READ MORE
Events following Khan's controversial statement
Last week, Khan was booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism), according to the copy of the first information report. The case was registered at the Margalla Police Station of Islamabad.
Khan’s lawyers Babar Awan and Faisal Chaudhry filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court seeking pre-arrest bail on his behalf, where a two-member bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Babar Sattar took up the petition.
After hearing arguments, the court approved protective bail till August 25 and directed him to approach a relevant Anti-terrorism Court by then. Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, has been targeting powerful institutions, including the Pakistan Army since his government was toppled in April.
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