Top court to hear contempt plea against Imran on Oct 20

Five-judge larger bench led by CJP Bandial will hear the matter

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court has fixed the contempt petition filed against former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan by the Ministry of Interior for hearing on Oct 20 (Thursday).

A five-judge larger bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial will take up the contempt matter against Imran.

Earlier, the federal government, through the interior ministry, approached the Supreme Court for initiating contempt proceedings against the former prime minister for violating its May 25 order wherein the PTI was restricted from holding its Azadi March near Peshawar Mor between the H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad. However, Imran and his supporters made their way towards D-Chowk, prompting the government to call in Pakistan Army for the security of the capital's Red Zone.

On May 26, the same five-judge larger bench took up an application filed by Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali over violation of the court’s May 25 order.

The majority judges namely CJP Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi showed restrain and on June 1 sought reports from director-generals of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), as well as IG Islamabad, interior secretary and others over the alleged involvement of the PTI leaders in instigating party workers to reach Islamabad's D-Chowk in violation of the court’s order.

However, Justice Yahya Afridi, while dissenting with the majority order, observed that contempt proceedings should be initiated against the PTI chairman for instructing party activists and supporters to proceed towards D-Chowk in violation of the SC's May 25 order.

Later, the law enforcement agencies had submitted their reports, which are still pending in the apex court.

Now, the interior ministry submitting a fresh application stated that agencies reports unequivocally established that Imran flouted the court’s May 25 directions and persisted in exhorting the PTI supporters and workers to reach D-Chowk.