Former Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to have boxed himself up in a situation where he must tender an unconditional apology over contempt of court or face indictment today.
By Naveed Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: He can still apologise over contempt of court, failing which he must face indictment. Whichever way it goes, we’ll know soon enough. The time appointed hour for the hearing (2:30 pm) is almost upon us.
All is set for former Prime Minister and chairman of his own Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to appear before the Islamabad High Court in a pivotal hearing into a contempt of court case against him.
Khan’s PTI is cheerleading in the twitterverse with their hashtag (کپتانقدمبڑھاوقومساتھ_ہے) trending at number one as of 1:46 pm in Pakistan. A close seond is one from his detractors (معافیتیراباپبھیمانگےگا).
The case, triggered by Khan’s use of language about a female judge that was widely seen as threatening during a rally in Islamabad, is being heard by a five-member larger bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah of the Islamabad High Court.
In the last hearing on September 8, the court had declared Imran Khan’s second response to the expression of regret as unsatisfactory and ordered to indict him for contempt for court on September 22.
Talking to Independent Pakistan ahead of the hearing, court journalist Basharat Raja said that based on hindsight, it seems that if Imran Khan submits an unconditional apology, then IHC would forgive him.
Raja said no written apology has been filed by Khan’s legal team, which may mean Khan is looking to personally speak at the hearing. “If this opportunity is given, [Khan] will tender an unconditional apology”, said Raja, “upon which the court may ask him to submit [the verbal] statement in writing.”
Raja maintained Khan has said in one of his meetings that he will apologize. “So, the matter will go towards an apology. There will be no indictment of contempt of court. The full bench may adjourn the case to a future date and wait for the written apology.”
Raja argued that on the occasion of the last hearing, the court had talked about criminal contempt of court, but the Chief Justice had openly said that if anyone thinks that a mistake has been made, he should apologize and this court will forgive him.
He also brings up the precedent set very recently by IHC itself in the Shamim Rana case, letting the former senior judge off the hook after he tendered an unconditional apology. “It therefore seems that if Imran Khan also submits an unconditional apology, then he will be forgiven.”
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