Imran's plea for acquittal rejected in threatening judge case

PTI chief had ‘threatened’ to take action against judge for not allowing bail to ‘tortured’ PTI leader Shahbaz Gill

ISLAMABAD:

A sessions court rejected on Wednesday former prime minister Imran Khan’s request for acquittal in the intimidation of a female judge case.

Civil judge Muhammad Mureed Abbas ruling came as he presided over the case's hearing, in which prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi completed his arguments.

At the last hearing, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief's lawyer, Salman Safdar, had completed his arguments.

The deposed prime minister was booked under terrorism charges in August 2022 at Margalla police station in the federal capital for his remarks at a rally in F9 Park where he warned Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and police high-ups of dire consequences for their “biased” attitude towards his party.

Imran had alleged that Judge Zeba was aware of the torture being inflicted upon PTI leader Shahbaz Gill - then in jail - and still did not release him on bail.

He had also threatened to take action against the judge as well as the inspector general police (IGP) and deputy inspector general police (DIG) of Islamabad.

The case was registered by complainant Magistrate Ali Javed.

It should be noted that the FIR was lodged hours before another Islamabad police station received a written complaint from a resident of G-11/2 for lodging a case against the former premier for making hate speeches and inciting rebellion against the army, police as well as the judiciary.

Read Imran reaches Zeba’s court to apologise

However, after personally visiting Judge Zeba at an Islamabad lower court to apologise last year, Imran had submitted an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), assuring that he would not repeat actions that would hurt the dignity of the judiciary.

Judge Zeba was not present when Imran reached the court to visit her.

In the affidavit, Imran had mentioned that he “was willing to apologise" to the female judge if she thought he had “crossed a red line”.

Previous judgments

The IHC, after disagreements between Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, quashed the terrorism charges against Imran and the case was transferred from an anti-terrorism court to a sessions one in December 2022.

In the judgments, Justice Kayani disagreed with Justice Sattar’s point of ‘benefit of the doubt’ as the latter was “satisfied with Imran Khan’s apology”. Justice Kayani had remarked then that the accused was not indicted, therefore, it would be portrayed as if he was 'pardoned'.

Earlier this year in April, a district and sessions court in Islamabad issued a bailable warrant for the PTI chief in this case after his lawyer contended that he could not appear on thE day because of his inability to walk due to a bullet injury.