Pakistan court dismisses contempt case against ex-PM Imran Khan

The five-member bench has accepted Khan’s written apology for feedback he made in opposition to officers throughout a rally in August.

Khan, who can be chairman of his PTI celebration, had initially refused to apologise however did so subsequently, within the final listening to on September 22 [File: Aamir Qureshi/AFP]

Islamabad, Pakistan – A court docket within the Pakistani capital Islamabad has accepted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s written apology for feedback he made in opposition to a feminine choose in August, relieving him of a contempt case.

The five-member bench, led by Islamabad Excessive Courtroom (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah, expressed its satisfaction with the apology on Monday, including that the decision was unanimous.

Khan was charged with contempt of court docket following a speech he made at a public rally in Islamabad on August 20, throughout which he threatened “motion” in opposition to Decide Zeba Chaudhry and senior Islamabad police officers for arresting his prime aide Shahbaz Gill, whom he accused police of torturing in custody.

Gill was charged with making an attempt to incite a mutiny in Pakistan’s highly effective navy after remarks made on a TV present, an allegation Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) celebration denies.

Khan had initially refused to apologise for his feedback however did so finally, within the final listening to on September 22.

If he had been convicted, he may have been disqualified from working within the subsequent election, which is scheduled for October subsequent yr.

Khan nonetheless has one other case earlier than the courts relating to the identical feedback within the August speech, for which he was granted bail on Sunday after an arrest warrant was issued a day earlier than. He has been charged underneath varied sections of Pakistan Penal Code for a similar speech.

He had additionally been charged underneath the nation’s terrorism legal guidelines for the August 20 speech, however a court docket dropped the fees final month. The IHC had stated Khan’s feedback didn't warrant fees underneath the cruel Anti-Terrorism Act, which carries a most sentence of life in jail and even capital punishment.

Khan’s authorities was toppled by way of a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April this yr and since then he has been conducting rallies throughout the nation, demanding early elections.

He has additionally alleged a US-led overseas regime change conspiracy behind the removing of his authorities, which each US and Pakistani officers have denied.