The Islamabad High Court Tuesday served a show-cause notice on PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and summoned him in his personal capacity on August 31 in contempt proceedings for his controversial remarks about a women judge. Imran had threatened Additional District and Sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry, who had approved the remand of his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the show-cause notice. Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb are the other two members of the bench. The IHC had constituted the bench on Monday, after the decision to start contempt proceedings against Imran was taken by Acting IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq during the hearing of a petition challenging Gill’s police remand. On Tuesday, Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Khan Jadoon informed the court that he had filed a miscellaneous application seeking permission to put on record Imran’s controversial statements against the state institutions. Asked when Imran made the “objectionable remarks”, Jadoon responded that the PTI chief made the comments during a rally in Islamabad’s F-9 Park on Saturday. “Imran Khan said, “Zeba sahiba, you should be ashamed; we will take action against you too’,” the advocate general quoted the ex-prime minister as saying.
He said Imran was repeatedly making controversial statements about the judiciary and the Election Commission of Pakistan, and was obstructing justice. Asked which case the remarks were linked to, Jadoon said they were in connection with a case registered against Gill. “Imran Khan is constantly making statements against the state institutions. Any party should now be restrained from making statements against the institutions. Imran Khan tried to destroy the public’s trust in the judiciary,” the advocate general argued. At one point, Justice Kayani questioned how someone could pass remarks in a case that was under adjudication. Then, addressing the advocate general, he added: “This matter does not concern you. It is between the court and Imran Khan.” “An attempt was made to disrespect our judiciary. If this environment has to be created then no work will get done in the country. How will things run if courts, which are the hope of the people, abandon their work?” Justice Kayani remarked. He further remarked, “If a court’s decision is not in favour of anyone, will they start giving statements against the court? Do they want people to do justice as they deem fit?”
The judge questioned how a former prime minister could issue such statements. He regretted that a controversial statement was made regarding a female judge and that she was named. The court then asked the advocate general whether Imran should be issued a notice or a show-cause notice. The advocate general replied that prime facie, a show-cause notice should be issued. Justice Kayani said some people thought they could get away with saying whatever they want. He questioned how the country could run if state institutions stopped functioning. “Certain people have crippled the state,” he remarked. Subsequently, the court issued Imran a show-cause notice and sent the case to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for inclusion of more judges into the larger bench. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said there should be no compromise on the sanctity of court.
Earlier in the day, Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon sought the court’s permission to put on record Imran’s statements allegedly against the judiciary and other institutions in court. In his application, Jadoon said he wanted to place relevant material “like videos, clips and previous statements of the respondents (Imran) on electronic and digital media on record, which are helpful” for the case. The Islamabad advocate general said he wanted to seek permission to “display different statements of the respondents on different occasions against the judiciary and other institutions. “In these circumstances, it is humbly prayed that [the court] allow to display the aforementioned material in this honourable court via USB or other digital gadgets, and consider this material as part of the case,” he said in his application.
The advocate general has filed the application on the state’s behalf. Imran, who has alleged that Gill has been subjected to “sexual abuse” and “physical and mental torture” in custody, had lambasted police over the accusation and judge Chaudhry for allowing Gill’s remand at a rally in Islamabad on Saturday. He 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 had then warned the judiciary against its “biased” attitude towards his party, saying that it should brace itself for the consequences. The PTI chairperson had warned judge Chaudhry that she would also face dire consequences. Subsequently, he was booked under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism). He has been granted protective bail by the IHC in the case till Thursday.
