ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) granted Imran Khan one more week to submit a detailed reply in contempt of court case presently pending in court against him.

A five-judge larger bench of apex court, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial heard contempt case against Imran. Earlier, the federal government, through interior ministry had approached  SC to initiate contempt proceedings against former prime minister for violating its May 25 order wherein PTI was restricted from holding its Azadi March near Peshawar Mor between H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad. However, Imran and his supporters had made their way towards D-Chowk, prompting government to call in Pakistan Army for security of capital’s Red Zone.

On May 26, same five-judge larger bench had taken up an application filed by Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali over violation of court’s May 25 order. Majority judges namely CJP Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi had shown restrain and on June 1 sought reports from director-generals of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), as well as IG Islamabad, interior secretary and others over alleged involvement of PTI leaders in instigating party workers to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk in violation of court’s order. However, in previous hearing, court had expressed that it was “disappointed” with PTI leadership for breaching court’s trust by violating its May 25, 2022 order.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 08 2022

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