Contempt quashed

The Sword of Damocles hanging over Imran Khan’s head is off for good. The contempt of court proceedings against the PTI chief were quashed in a show of magnanimity by the Islamabad High Court. The case was booked in the backdrop of a diatribe in which Mr Khan indulged himself, as he vowed to sue a lady judicial officer who had granted remand to another party worker. Since then it was all a media trial, and the government was prompt in taking cognizance by even trying to arrest the former prime minister leading to upping the ante over the weekend. Nonetheless, the curtain on one of the most talked about cases came down as the court in a unanimous decision accepted the apology, and appreciated the largesse of the accused who had walked up to the court of the lady judge to tender an unconditional apology.

The case may be over but it has generated enough heat. It was in hype at a time when the political stakeholders were engaged in serious confrontation, unmindful of national constraints. PTI’s demand for early general elections is at odds with the coalition government’s adamant stance, which wants to see through the remaining period of parliament’s tenure and is busy mending the wrecked ship of the economy. Likewise, with farmers camping in the federal capital and Mr Khan too weighing options to march on has Balkanized the entire spectrum of rationality. Thus, the sigh of relief, at least, from the judicial context — by not carrying the case any further — despite court’s observations that prima facie it was a perfect case of contempt is a way forward.

The society has, of late, seen a lot of judicial activity. The focus of media and civil society remains glued to the honourable benches because they are often burdened with litigations which otherwise the political entities should themselves address in all sincerity. It necessitates a decorum so that foul-mouthing and unwise executive decisions do not end up in the court of law. This is where the test of political wisdom rests.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2022.

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