Imran apologises again in female judge threat case

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan appeared in the court of Islamabad Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman to apologise again in a case related to alleged threats made against a woman judge.

The incident took place after he condemned the custodial torture of close aide Shahbaz Gill and announced his party’s intention to file cases against the officials concerned, including a woman judge.

During Wednesday’s court session, Khan expressed remorse for his past remarks made at a political gathering saying it might have crossed the line and hurt someone, particularly Judge Zeba Chaudhry. “I apologise if I crossed the line.”

He told the judge that he had also gone to the judge’s courtroom with the intention of offering an apology for his statements. He also said: “I formed a political party for the supremacy of justice 27 years ago; I have not broken a single pot to date.” Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, accompanied him during the court proceedings.

Khan was booked under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Anti-Terrorism Act. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had initiated contempt of court proceedings against him. Later on, the high court removed the terror charges and also pardoned the PTI chief after he tendered an apology in the contempt case. But a similar case had been filed against the PTI chief — after registration of the first information report against him — and is still pending before the sessions court.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan challenged a trial court’s decision to accept a petition seeking criminal proceedings against him and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for cohabiting after their first nikah that allegedly took place without completion of the latter’s mandatory iddat period.

A judicial magistrate in Islamabad, Qudratullah, issued a nine-page detailed judgment on July 18, stating that the petition filed against the former premier with regard to his “illegal” marriage was admissible. The judge also ordered Imran and his wife to appear in his court on July 20 [today].

Earlier, on July 14, Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Azam Khan remanded the case to the judicial magistrate. He had also dismissed another civil court’s verdict declaring the plea challenging the legality of the marriage inadmissible. The PTI chief moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday seeking quashing of both the petition and trial court’s order. The petition contended that the allegations contained in the private complaint do not constitute an offense within the ambit of Section 496 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). “Thus continuation of the trial would amount to the abuse of the process of law,” it added.

The petitioner, one Muhammad Haneef, claimed that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Imran Khan on January 1, 2018 despite the fact that her iddat period had not completed “which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms.”

Meanwhile, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) Wednesday extended the bail of PTI chairman in three cases pertaining to violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) until July 26.

In early March, the former premier was booked by the capital’s Ramna police in two cases. He was accused of leading mobs to the FJC and IHC as he appeared for hearings there.

A third case was filed against him by the Golra police station for allegedly causing unrest outside the FJC when he went there on March 18 for a Toshakhana case hearing.

During the last proceedings, the ATC had issued bailable arrest warrants for the PTI chief and summoned him on July 19. The hearing was conducted by ATC Judge Abul Hasnaat Muhammad Zulfikar on Wednesday. As the hearing began, the judge addressed the police, asking them to declare the suspect innocent if he was innocent or present any evidence they had. The judge warned them that if the investigation was not conducted properly, he would personally summon the police inspector general.

Imran’s counsel also expressed concern about the police serving as both the complainant and investigator in the cases. After considering the arguments, the court granted bail to the former premier in three cases until July 26.