ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (APP):The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday served a show-cause notice to Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf’s (PTI) Chief Imran Khan and summoned him on August 31, in contempt of court case pertaining his threatening remarks about additional session judge Zeba Chaudhry.

A larger bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Baber Sattar heard the case regarding the threatening remarks of Imran Khan.

Advocate General Islamabad Barrister Jahangir Jadoon said that he had filed a miscellaneous application to bring the relevant material on record. The application stated that he also wanted to submit the record of previous anti judiciary speeches and statements of Imran Khan. It also included video clips of the speeches, he said.

He prayed the court to grant permission to bring statements of PTI’s chief on electronic and digital media. The advocate general also requested the court to permit playing Imran Khan’s statements about judiciary and institutions in courtroom through USP or digital resources.

During the course of proceeding, Barrister Jahangir Jadoon told the court that Imran Khan had given threatening statement about the woman judge during his speech in a rally on August 20. The female judge was hearing a case regarding the remand of Imran Khan’s aide Shahbaz Gill, he said, adding that the PTI head was repeatedly giving such remarks against Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and judiciary. 

Barrister Jahangir Jadoon said Imran Khan was creating hurdles in way of justice. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani remarked that even the courts couldn’t interfere into the investigation process. He said that threatening a woman judge was an unfortunate act, adding that judicial system couldn’t serve if such attitude was being adopted as judges were working across the country.

Expressing concern, Justice Kayani remarked that they would start speeches if the court would pass an order in this case. In what direction the common man was being taken, the court said, adding that it was not expecting such statement from a former prime minister.

The court said that it was ready to provide extra security to the concerned woman judge. Even at the moment when we were hearing this case the court was being defamed.     

Barrister Jahangir Jadoon said ‘yes’, it was necessary to provide security to the female judge after the threatening remarks by PTI head. The court asked whether it should firstly hear Imran Khan or a show-cause notice should be served directly. At this, the advocate general said apparently in this situation a direct show-cause notice should be served to PTI’s head.

Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani said it was a serious matter and it was not limited to the lower courts of Islamabad even the civil bureaucracy and police high ups were being threatened.

The court further observed that certain people had grabbed the whole system. Would it start giving threats as well if a government loses power today, Justice Kayani questioned.

After this, the court served show-cause notice to Imran Khan and summoned him on August 31, in the case.

It may be mentioned here that the judges of IHC after a consultation had decided to initiate a contempt of court proceeding against Imran Khan on his objectionable remarks about the woman judge who was hearing remand case of Shahbaz Gill.