ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will today, Tuesday, launch contempt of court proceedings against ex-premier and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, for passing controversial remarks against a district court judge last week.
The IHC took the decision a day after police filed terrorism charges against Khan over what they said was a threat to public officials in a speech on Saturday.
In the address, Khan hurled threats at Islamabad’s police chief and a female judge, Zeba Chaudhry, over what he called the arrest and torture of his chief of staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, who faces sedition charges for urging the military’s lower ranks to defy the orders of superiors.
“A larger bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will hear the case which is expected to be take up tomorrow Tuesday,” a local media newspaper, Dawn, said on Monday while mentioning contempt proceedings with regards to Khan’s comments about Justice Chaudhry.
The Islamabad police, meanwhile, seized a pistol, satellite phone and some documents from Gill’s residence during a late-night raid at Parliament Lodges during his presence.
Gill was remanded in police custody for two days by a judicial magistrate in the capital on Monday to complete the investigation in a case registered against him under charges of sedition.
He was arrested on August 9, only a day after he asked army officers not to follow orders of their top command if they were “against the sentiments of the masses.”
The country’s national media regulator described the statement as “seditious,” saying it amounted to inciting revolt within the military. The regulator also issued a show-cause notice to the channel, ARY News, for airing the “illegal” content. The channel has since been off air.
“My servants live here in this room,” Gill told the media after a police team searched his room and seized different items kept at the apartment. “They both are gunmen and have licensed pistols. This pistol may belong to them.”
He added it was also possible that someone had kept the weapon in the room after his arrest.
Khan’s chief of state suspected someone had gained access to his residence at Parliament Lodges since many of the things were “out of their usual place.”
“For example, my passport was not at the same place,” he continued while being handcuffed. “It means someone came here.”
Asked if his party’s allegation that he was sexually assaulted by the police in custody was right, he said, “Yes, it’s true.”
The ongoing political situation in Pakistan has also been noticed internationally, making United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres call for calm, de-escalation of tensions and respect for rule of law on Monday amid the government-opposition tensions in the country.
“The secretary-general is aware of the charges brought against former prime minister Imran Khan and emphasizes the need for a competent, independent and impartial legal process,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in response to a question at a media briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York.
“He urges calm, lowering of tensions, and respect for the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the spokesperson added.
The federal government has booked Khan under terrorism charges for allegedly terrorizing Islamabad’s top police officials and a judicial magistrate in a public rally after the arrest of his chief of staff.
A senior leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, dismissed the terrorism case against the ex-premier, saying it had “no legal significance.”
“The most unique thing in Pakistan that has never happened before is charging political opponents in blasphemy and terrorism cases,” he said while talking to BBC World News on Monday night.
He said that Khan’s chief of staff was “abducted and tortured,” and the magistrate handed him back to the police without investigating the charges.
“He [Khan] said that he would bring a case against the magistrate for not investigating the charges of torture and on this issue a terrorism case is made up against Imran Khan which is of no legal significance and will be quashed by the Supreme Court,” Hussain added.
