Show-cause notice against ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan withdrawn
Islamabad, October 3
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan dodged contempt charges on Monday after a court here accepted his written response and withdrew the show cause notice issued to him in a case pertaining to ‘threatening’ a female judge.
The 69-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief appeared before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, where the case was heard by a larger bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and comprising Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Babar Sattar.
During the hearing, Khan’s lawyer told the court that his client had submitted his third reply to the show cause notice after the first two replies were termed as unsatisfactory. Chief Justice Minallah, who was presiding over the proceedings, said that the bench had read the affidavit provided by Khan and it was wrapping up the case.
“We take a lot of care in contempt of court cases,” Justice Minallah said, adding that the court was “dismissing” the notice issued to Khan. “This is the unanimous decision of the larger bench,” he remarked.
During a rally in Islamabad on August 20, Khan had threatened to file cases against top officials and rivals over the treatment meted out to his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was arrested on charges of sedition.
