Pakistan

IHC seeks report in contempt of court proceedings against Imran

IG Islamabad, local admin directed to produce security report in court by April 7

Our Correspondent March 22, 2023

When Justice Farooq asked Abbasi if authorities could make an arrest from a court premises, the NAB deputy prosecutor replied that any action could be taken if an accused put up resistance. Photo: File

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed concerned authorities to submit a security report over the law and order situation created during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's visit to the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) last week.

Chief Justice (CJ) IHC Justice Aamer Farooq was presiding over a hearing in relation to a contempt of court petition filed against Imran Assistant Commissioner (AC) Abdullah Khan through his lawyer Rizwan Abbasi.

Read ECP summons Imran, others in contempt case

In his petition, AC Khan has maintained that Imran had been ordered by the court not to create a law and order situation, "but he breached those orders".

The AC said that the police had made security arrangements in accordance with court orders while PTI workers pelted stones at the police deployed outside the FJC, owing to which several law enforcement personnel sustained injuries.

During the proceedings at the IHC today, the court ordered IG Islamabad and concerned authorities of the local administration to submit a report on the events of March 18.

The court adjourned proceedings until April 7 and also consolidated the case with an ongoing case being heard by the IHC probing into the missing Toshakhana case file.

Last week, as the PTI chief had made his way to Justice Zafar Iqbal's court, police and Imran's supporters clashed for several hours.

Amidst the chaos, Imran was allowed by the court to sign his documents from his vehicle parked outside the courtroom where his indictment was to be decided.

The ex-premier's chief of staff Shibli Faraz had taken the order sheet to get Imran's signature alongside SP Malik, however, upon his return, the file had been reported missing.

Ultimately, the PTI chief was allowed to leave after marking his attendance without being indicted because of clashes between police and party activists outside the FJC.