Imran appears before IHC amidst strict security

Former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) today (Wednesday) amidst tight security in relation to a contempt case.

A larger bench of the court is to hear the case at 2.30pm.

عمران خان بنی گالہ سے اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ میں پیشی کیلئے روانہ۔ pic.twitter.com/uN36Bg5CUi

— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 31, 2022

It is expected that Imran’s controversial speech will be played before the judges for which arrangements have been completed.

As Imran entered the court premises alone, he remarked “I wonder why there is so much fear,” in a casual conversation with the media.

چیئرمین عمران خان اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ پہنچ گئے۔
pic.twitter.com/CPmiPXQevx

— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 31, 2022

Police sources confirmed that a bomb disposal squad has been tasked with clearing the courtroom, while all attendees have been ordered to empty the premises before Imran’s arrival.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Babar Awan refused to leave the room.

“I will not leave the courtroom,” said Awan while Hamid Khan was stopped outside the room by security personnel. However, Babar Awan and his son were ultimately expelled from the courtroom for not being named in the cause list while Imran’s legal team was permitted inside.

PTI leader Azam Swati and Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon were also allowed to enter the courtroom.

As per the security orders issued by the government earlier today, only lawyers on the cause list will be allowed to enter the high court after security checks, and the court has been secured by barbed wire.

While SSP Operations Jameel Zafar has been assigned the primary responsibility of ensuring security outside the high court, three superintendents of police (SP), and nine additional and deputy SPs are providing their services in the court’s vicinity.

Read more: Imran Khan Terrorism Case

Additionally, at least a thousand junior rank officers and officials have been posted around the IHC, while the Security Division is responsible for providing security inside the court premises.

The security order also stated that Safe City cameras will be used to surveil the area and that all officers and personnel posted on the ground will be unarmed barring those that have been assigned rooftop duties.

Furthermore, 500 short-range and an additional 500 long-range armored vehicles have also been stationed carrying tear gas shells. Simultaneously, at least 3,000 shells and police vehicles are stationed in police lines.

Tensions nonetheless remained high in the IHC after the deposed premier Imran Khan on Tuesday (yesterday) responded to a show-cause notice issued to him by the court in a contempt case and offered to “take back” the controversial remarks he had made against district and sessions judge Zeba Chaudhry during a PTI rally at F-9 Park in Islamabad earlier this month.

Read more: PEMRA warns TV channels, contents against state institutions

The PTI chief, in a provisional reply, had stated that due to “serious misunderstanding and misconception” he had misunderstood that Judge Zeba was not a judicial officer but an executive magistrate performing executive functions on the federal government’s directions.

The reply, submitted through Imran’s counsel Hamid Khan, had regretted that a wrong impression was taken from the PTI chief’s speech that he had threatened the female judge for approving PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand.

“Even otherwise, word ‘action’ used in the speech did not denote any ‘illegal/unlawful action’ against any person rather it was used for ‘legal’ and ‘lawful action’ which is right of every citizen of Pakistan,” the reply had stated.

Read more: Imran Khan requests IHC to overturn PEMRA live telecast ban of his speeches

Barrister Salman Safdar and Advocate Naeem Haider Panjotha appeared on behalf of Imran Khan as the PTI chief requested the court to declare the charges illegal.

A bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minullah heard the case and issued notices to IG and DIG Police as well as the plaintiff magistrate and the relevant SHO seeking their response by September 8.

Hearing on Imran’s petition

Earlier, Imran Khan’s petition against the amendments in the NAB Act was heard by an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Mansoor Ali.

Federal counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan pleaded with the court that the amended petition had been submitted, it would be better to notify him so that a reply would also come. The court also accepted Imran Khan’s request for preliminary hearing against the new amendments.

Imran’s lawyer Khawaja Harris told the court in the preliminary arguments that it was impossible to prove the crime of assets in excess of income. After the amendment, action can only be taken on proving assets from corruption money.

The CJP remarked that it was a fact that people do not declare full assets and income in tax returns, to which Imran Khan’s lawyer said that non-disclosure of income or assets is not a crime under NAB law, and that undisclosed income does not have to be illegal.

Later, the court issued a notice to the federal government on Imran Khan’s amended application and adjourned the hearing of the case till the last week of September.