ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Monday accepted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s written apology in a contempt charge stemming from remarks against a female judge that were seen as threatening, quashing the case.
The charges are related to a speech by Khan in which he allegedly threatened police and a female judge in August after one of his close aides was denied bail in a sedition case. The Islamabad High Court initiated contempt charges against Khan but stopped short of inducting him after he apologized in a hearing last month. Instead, the court instructed Khan to submit an affidavit for consideration of the court before the next date of hearing, October 3.
“We have seen the affidavit [submitted by Khan], and we are satisfied with the written apology,” IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said in court. “Imran Khan has demonstrated honesty and we are satisfied with his conduct.”
The chief justice then discharged the contempt notice in a unanimous decision of a five-member bench.
Attorney-General of Pakistan, Ashtar Ausaf, opposed the dismissal, citing previous judgments of the Supreme Court in which lawmakers were disqualified from holding public office for contempt of court.
Talking to reporters after the hearing, Khan said: “Justice Athar Minallah has handed down great decisions.”
Conviction in the contempt case could have led to Khan’s disqualification from politics for at least five years under Pakistani law.
The cricket-star turned politician has faced a barrage of legal woes since his ouster in a vote of no-confidence in April by a united opposition led by his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Another of the critical cases against him is related to foreign funding for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which an inquiry by an election tribunal has found unlawful.
Imran submits affidavit
On Saturday, Imran had submitted an affidavit in line with the court’s directions, saying he had realised he “might have crossed a line” in his criticism of Judge Chaudhry and was willing to apologise to her “if she got an impression” that he had crossed a line.
The court had sought the affidavit during a hearing on September 22, when Imran had offered to tender an apology to Judge Chaudhry. Imran’s offer to apologise had seen him escape the indictment.
In the affidavit, Imran said he had “realised during these (contempt) proceedings before the honourable court that he might have crossed a red line”. However, he added, he never intended to threaten Judge Chaudhry and “there was no intention behind the statement to take any action other than legal action”.
He said he wanted to assure the IHC that he was willing to explain and clarify before Judge Chaudhry that“ neither he nor his party seeks/sought any action“ against her and he was willing to apologise to her “if she got an impression that the deponent (Imran) had crossed a line”.
The PTI chief assured the court that in future he would not do anything that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary.
He also expressed his willingness to take any further steps that the IHC deemed necessary and appropriate. Imran further assured the court that he would always stand by his statement in the affidavit in letter and spirit.