Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has submitted his supplementary reply in the contempt of court case against him in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), expressing “deep regret” over the “unintentional utterances” at a political rally.
Further hearing of the case has been fixed for tomorrow, September 8.
Imran Khan had alleged that Additional and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry did not grant bail to Shehbaz Gill despite Shehbaz Gill being tortured. He had subsequently threatened to take action against the woman judge and high ranking officers of the capital police.
IHC had issued a show cause notice to the PTI chairman in August over his remarks asking him to appear before the court on August 31.
During the last hearing on August 31, the IHC expressed dissatisfaction over the submitted response and had directed the PTI chairman to submit a reply in seven days.
Imran Khan, in his recent response, has stated that the remarks were unintentional and were not meant to be directed to the lady judge for whom he has a lot of respect.
Former prime minister has also stated that he had never meant to hurt the feelings and if her feelings were hurt it was deeply regretted. He has said that neither he had meant to threaten the judge nor he could think of doing so.
The statement has also said, “He [Imran] has respect for the judiciary including the Subordinate judiciary and he […] believes that judges of the Subordinate/District judiciary are performing vital functions for dispensation of justice.”
PTI chairman also said that he had enormous respect for the judiciary, and stood firmly with women rights and strongly supported induction and representation of lady judges.
“The Respondent [Imran] also assures this Hon’ble Court that he would not shy away from expressing his remorse to her,” read the statement.
Imran Khan also conveyed through his statement that he believed that IHC’s decision to allow him a second opportunity to respond was unfortunately bitterly criticized for political point scoring by those who saw it an opportunity to oust him from the political arena.
He has also said that the horrific news of physical torture and circulation of secretly made videos seriously prejudiced the process of grant of remand.
The PTI chairman has also said that the precedents of Talal Chaudhry, Danyal Aziz and Firdous Ashiq Awan were not applicable because they did not unintentionally utter few words like he did.
The statement added, “Those speeches/interviews were part of [a] malicious, calculated and well-rehearsed campaign on the advice of party leadership who had launched a massive attack on the Supreme Court by scandalising the judges and the Courts and was directed towards the entire institution of judiciary as a reaction/revenge to Panama case. They included vicious personal attacks on the judges.”
