Tag: Contempt of Court

  • Imran Khan expresses ‘deep regret’ over threatening female judge, dodges unconditional apology

    Imran Khan expresses ‘deep regret’ over threatening female judge, dodges unconditional apology

    Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, expressed “deep regret” over his “unintentional utterances” in an additional reply in response to the show-cause notice issued to him by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for threatening a judge Zeba Chaudhary during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.

    However, the submitted reply fell short of offering an unconditional apology.

    IHC on August 31 had directed the former Prime Minister to resubmit his response, giving him seven days to hand in the new draft.

    During the proceedings, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had said he was “disappointed” by the written response submitted by Khan. He asked him to review it and submit it once more.

    In a 19-page-long document, Khan told the court that it should discharge the notice based on his explanation and follow the Islamic principles of forgiveness.

    “That the purpose of the contempt law is not to punish anyone but to uphold the majesty of law. The respondent [Khan] believes in the rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution,” the response said.

    “The respondent takes this opportunity to express his deep regrets over his unintentional utterances during the course of his speech at a rally which was taken out in response to the shocking news of the physical torture of Shahbaz Gill.”

    PTI’s Chief of Staff, Shahbaz Gill, has been under arrest since August 9 for allegedly inciting mutiny within the Pakistan army. Gill has alleged that he was tortured while in custody.

    In his resubmitted reply, Khan said that the utterances were “unintentional” and not meant to be directed towards the female judge for whom he has “a lot of respect”.

    Khan said that he never meant to hurt her feelings and if her feelings have been hurt, it is deeply regretted.

    “The respondent neither meant to threaten the lady judge nor could he think of doing so. The respondent has respect for the judiciary including the Subordinate judiciary and he believes that judges of the Subordinate/ District judiciary should be strong and independent in order to dispense justice to the common man,” the response added.

    In the end, the PTI chairman appealed to the court to discharge the contempt notice issued to him.

  • Court fixes contempt case against former Chief Judge Rana Shamim

    Court fixes contempt case against former Chief Judge Rana Shamim

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed a contempt case against former Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Judge (CJ), Dr Rana Muhammad Shamim, on September 5.

    Shamim allegedly signed an affidavit that incriminates former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar.

    The affidavit contained allegations that Saqib Nisar attempted to influence a case against former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in an attempt to bring Imran Khan into power.

    The authenticity of the affidavit, which surfaced in one of Pakistan’s leading newspapers in November 2021, has been in question.

    Journalist Ansar Abbasi who published this investigative report has also been called in for contempt of court.

    Earlier in January, IHC indicted Rana Shamim for allegations that he levelled against Saqib.

    At the time, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah deferred the framing of charges against the media personnel who were also named in the case, including journalist Abbasi and Jang Group owner Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman.

  • Fawad Chaudhry says Khan will not apologise in contempt case

    Fawad Chaudhry says Khan will not apologise in contempt case

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has said that former prime minister Imran Khan will not tender an apology to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a contempt of court case.

    Fawad said that it was “really sad” that a full bench was hearing the contempt of court case. He said that PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill was tortured and the IHC directed the IGP to hold an inquiry despite confirmation of a medical board that Gill was indeed tortured.

    Fawad said that Gill’s “private parts were given electric shocks and they [police] should feel ashamed of such barbaric acts”.

    He called on the political forces to play their part in making Pakistan a truly democratic country. Fawad added that PTI, during its tenure, had made it clear that institutions should reduce their interference in the government.

  • New FIR filed against Khan for violating Section 144

    New FIR filed against Khan for violating Section 144

    A new First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his other party members at the Abpara police station in Islamabad.

    Asad Umar, Murad Saeed, Fawad Chaudhry, Faisal Javed Khan, Sheikh Rasheed and others have also been booked over violation of Section 144 and named in the FIR. 

    The FIR states that Khan along with his party leaders violated Section 144. It adds that the PTI leaders and their almost 1,000 supporters blocked the road at Imran Khan’s instructions. The FIR says that the party used loudspeakers as well.

    Earlier, an FIR was filed against Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for “threatening” Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior police officers during his speech on August 20. However, he was granted transit bail till August 25.

    Read more: IHC to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran for controversial remarks regarding sessions judge

    On Monday (August 22), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decided to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran Khan for passing controversial remarks about Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    A day later, the IHC issued a show-cause notice to Imran Khan and summoned him on August 31 in contempt proceedings.

  • Islamabad High Court issues show-cause notice to Khan, summons him on Aug 31

    Islamabad High Court issues show-cause notice to Khan, summons him on Aug 31

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday (August 23) issued a show-cause notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and summoned him on August 31 in contempt proceedings for his controversial remarks about Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who had approved Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case.

    During today’s hearing, Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Khan Jadoon informed the court that he had filed a miscellaneous application seeking permission to put Imran’s controversial statements against state institutions on record.

    In his application, the advocate general pleaded to the court that he wanted to submit the record of anti-judiciary remarks and speeches made by Imran Khan in the past.

    “I want to put Imran Khan’s video clip on record,” said the applicant.

    “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.

    He pleaded with the court to allow the petitioner to play the video showing the anti-judiciary and anti-state institution remarks made by the PTI chairman in the past.

    IHC to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran for controversial remarks regarding sessions judge

    On Monday (August 22), the IHC decided to initiate contempt proceedings against Imran Khan for passing controversial remarks about Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

  • Islamabad Court Chief Justice says remarks about retired judges, ex-CJP not contempt of court

    Islamabad Court Chief Justice says remarks about retired judges, ex-CJP not contempt of court

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed on Friday, that remarks about retired officials did not warrant contempt of court charges, even if they were made against a former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

    Justice Minallah made the observation during a hearing to decide the maintainability of a petition, filed by Advocate Kulsoom Khaliq, seeking contempt proceedings against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Maryam Nawaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for trying to scandalise the judiciary through their statements against the former CJP Saqib Nisar.

    On November 15, Abbasi demanded that a suo motu notice be taken against Nisar after the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim accused Nisar of being involved in denying bail to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam ahead of the 2018 general elections.

    Abbasi, questioning the lawmakers, said, “If Mian Nawaz Sharif can go to jail, why can’t Mian Saqib Nisar?”

    IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said in his written order that a judge who ceases to hold a judicial office “attains the status of a private citizen”.

    “Such a person is no more a member of the ‘Court’ in the context of Article 204 of the Constitution nor under the Ordinance of 2003,” Justice Minallah wrote.

    “It remains open to a retired judicial officer to seek remedies available in a court of law. However, the offence of contempt is not attracted in the case of a retired judge because after retirement the latter attains the status of a private citizen,” wrote Justice Minallah.

    He insisted that judges were open-minded about criticism, saying, “Judges hold a very high position and they should welcome criticism.”

  • Qazi Faez Isa’s wife moves court for contempt case against Fawad Chaudhry

    Qazi Faez Isa’s wife moves court for contempt case against Fawad Chaudhry

    The wife of Supreme Court (SC) judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa has moved court for a contempt case against Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry over a tweet by the latter.

    Sarina Isa’s application seeking the case against Fawad comes days after he tweeted that speeches were being made for the past one week, but reply would result in “concern” or “contempt”.

    The minister had said that those inclined towards politics must contest elections to realise their popularity and acceptability.

    In a later tweet, Fawad had also dedicated a poem to the judge.

    Meanwhile, “#IStandWithFawadChaudhary” is trending on Twitter.

  • Lahore CCPO in hot water for criticising LHC

    Lahore CCPO in hot water for criticising LHC

    The chief justice of the Lahore High Court has ordered a review of interviews of Lahore police chief Umer Shaikh over his remarks against the judiciary, wherein he implicitly blamed the courts for an increase in the crime rate.

    Reacting to the statement of the CCPO Shaikh in which he said the criminals detained by the police were given bail by the courts, the chief justice said the suspects are granted bail in line with the constitution. He said such statements by CCPO Shaikh were akin to committing contempt of court and asked the Punjab advocate general to give details of his interviews in 15 days.

    He said the Lahore police chief boasted that he would curb the crime rate in the provincial capital in three months, but it seems the robberies and streets crimes are on the rise despite his posting.

    He further added that the courts will not tolerate unfounded criticism by the police officer and if he has a complaint against the bail granted to the accused, he could approach the relevant forum in this regard.

    This is not the first time that Sheikh has made headlines for all the wrong reasons as soon after his posting, he had landed in hot water for victim-blaming after the horrific motorway gang-rape incident. The Lahore CCPO had remarked that the rape survivor should have been more careful and taken a safer route.

    In Sept, a trainee sub-inspector Fahad Iftikhar Virk submitted his resignation after he was abused by CCPO Umer Sheikh for speaking in English.

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Shoaib Dastgir was also removed amid much controversy after a standoff with Sheikh after the latter asked his subordinates to ignore the IG’s order.