Imran reaches Zeba’s court to apologise

PTI chief asks ‘neutrals’ about PMO leaks

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD:

 

PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan on Friday appeared before an Islamabad lower court to personally apologise to Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who was not present there at the time.

On the PTI chief’s arrival, the police at the court closed the door for unauthorised persons. Imran was told that the judge was on leave. The ex-premier told the court reader to tell the judge that he had come to personally apologise to her.

He further told the reader to remain witness to the fact that Imran had come to her court to tender an apology if she had been hurt by his remarks.

The Islamabad High Court had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chairman for “threatening” the judge at a public gathering in Islamabad’s F-9 Park on August 20 after she had approved party leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand in a sedition case.

Last week, Imran’s personal submissions had narrowly secured him from indictment in the contempt case for threatening the judge as he expressed his willingness to apologise to her.

“I have come to apologise to judicial magistrate Zeba Chaudhry,” he could be heard telling the court reader in a video posted by the PTI on Twitter.

“You have to tell Madam Zeba Chaudhry that Imran Khan had come here and wanted to apologise if his words hurt her sentiments,” he added.

Earlier in the day, a district and sessions court confirmed the PTI chief’s interim bail in a case registered against him on charges of violating Section 144.

Read Imran Khan's political fortunes hinge on top court

The court confirmed Imran’s interim bail against a surety bond worth Rs5,000.

In Peshawar, the PTI chief in a thinly-veiled reference to the establishment asked the “neutrals” to explain who was responsible for the recent security breach at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

He pointed out that if the security of the Prime Minister's Office has been breached, it meant that the enemies have sensitive information. “Who is responsible for it?”

Addressing at Edwardes College in Peshawar, he also lashed out at his political opponents for brazenly reaping the benefits of the tweaks in the accountability laws and asked how can “watchman stay neutral when the country is being looted?”

“Whenever someone claims to be ‘neutral’ consider him an animal.”

“I ask the protectors today […] if robbers are looting a house, can the guards say that they are neutral? What will the residents say? That the house is being looted but the guards say they are neutral,” Imran said, claiming that Pakistan, too, was being “looted” today.

Imran said that the country's political leadership emerged from the educational institutions and added that the efficient education system produced great leaders.

He said that the only difference between a civilised society and a cruel society is justice.

“The path of destruction is coming in front of you in the coming days… NRO has been given to big thieves and their cases are being closed,” he said while referring to the NAB amendments which deprived the accountability courts of jurisdiction to hear corruption references of many political bigwigs.

Imran said that the country's political leadership emerged from the educational institutions and added that the efficient education system produced great leaders.

 

He said that the only difference between a civilised society and a cruel society is justice.

“The path of destruction is coming in front of you in the coming days… NRO has been given to big thieves and their cases are being closed,” he said while referring to the NAB amendments which deprived the accountability courts of jurisdiction to hear corruption references of many political bigwigs.

Speaking about the curbs on media freedom, Imran said, “If you have to impose a ban on social media and TV channels then who will protect the interest of the country?”

He went on that if the “neutrals” were only responsible for cracking down on social media users, YouTubers, and television channels, then “who will protect the interests of the country”.

The former prime minister said that since the “imported government” came into power, the rupee has fallen by 33%.

Imran said he was preparing the nation for his final call against the incumbent rulers. “I am not afraid of anything, neither of prison nor of my life, but I will never accept these thieves,” he added.

Imran said his much-hyped ultimate call for protest to force the government to call early elections will be the last and the “point of no return”.