Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A senior judge has said a case can be opened against the PTI Chairman Imran Khan for mocking the Supreme Court of Pakistan by inciting violence during the long march on May 29, 2022 in a breach of his own given word.
“There is enough evidence to start contempt of court proceedings against PTI’s chairman as he had dishonoured the commitment made with the top court, wrote Justice Yahya Afridi in a key Supreme Court (SC) order.
Justice Afridi was part of the five-member bench that wrote the verdict.
The apex court on Wednesday unveiled its verdict on the petition filed by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association regarding the enforcement of fundamental rights of the people given in the Constitution in reference to the PTI’s long march.
“It is apparent that the assurances conveyed to the Court by… the top leadership of the PTI may have been dishonoured by the workers/supporters/sympathisers of the party by proceeding to the D-Chowk in the Red Zone area and by allegedly committing acts of arson and destruction of public and private properties on the way,” Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial wrote in the verdict.
In the 12-page verdict, the apex court raised important seven questions and asked the Islamabad Inspector General (IG) of Police, Director General of Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to offer clarifications within seven days.
In one question, the court inquired when did Imran Khan ask his party workers to go to the D-Chowk?
The court also asked for clarification regarding the number of protesters who were able to enter the capital’s Red Zone.
However, the chief justice noted that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement to postpone the sit-in for six days averted “further damage to property or injury to human life.”
Earlier, Imran Khan said he was waiting for the SC verdict regarding the PTI’s petition on being able to hold a demonstration in Islamabad, before announcing the date of the party’s next march.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said he was hopeful of a case against PTI’s long march as “it was a criminal act that is punishable by Pakistan’s penal code.”
He highlighted that a subcommittee of the Cabinet has been formed to investigate the long march and it would brief the Cabinet for further proceedings if PTI was found to be the malefactor.
In another development the Registrar’s Office raised objection on PTI’s long march petition in the Supreme Court and said the SC has already ruled on the point raised in the petition.
The Registrar’s Office objected and referred the matter to the Registrar of the Supreme Court for a final decision.
Earlier, PTI filed a petition in Supreme Court seeking court’s permission for long march. Ali Zafer Advocate submitted the petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, while the Interior Ministry, IG Islamabad and Home Secretaries were mentioned as the parties.
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