ISLAMABAD, Aug 23(ABC): A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued on Tuesday a show-cause notice to PTI Chairman Imran Khan after taking up contempt of court proceedings against him for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during a public rally.
The bench comprised Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.
The court summoned Imran Khan in personal capacity on August 31, and forwarded the case to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, seeking inclusion of more judges in the bench.
The PTI chair had staged a rally in the federal capital on August 20 to express solidarity with his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill after claims of torture in custody. He warned the Islamabad inspector-general and deputy inspector-general that he would “not spare” them, vowing to file cases against them for subjecting Gill to alleged inhuman torture.
Turning his guns towards the additional sessions judge, who sent Gill into physical remand on the police’s request, Imran Khan had then said she [the judge] should brace herself for consequences.
This issue could be a threat for Khan, who has been campaigning for new elections since being forced to step down this year, since a conviction would disqualify him from standing for election, legal experts said.