Islamabad High Court issues show-cause notice to Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 23 : Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to PTI chairman Imran Khan after taking up contempt of court proceedings against him for threatening Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during a public rally.
The IHC bench comprised Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Babar Sattar and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Geo tv reported.
Meanwhile, the court summoned Imran Khan in personal capacity on August 31 and forwarded the case to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, seeking inclusion of more judges in the bench.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman was booked for threatening a judge and two top police officials in a public meeting held at the F-9 Park late Saturday evening.
Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
The PTI chair had staged a rally in the federal capital on August 20 to express solidarity with his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill after claims of torture in custody.
He warned the Islamabad inspector-general and deputy inspector-general that he would "not spare" them, vowing to file cases against them for subjecting Gill to alleged inhuman torture, according to Geo tv.
Earlier Imran's lawyers, Babar Awan and Faisal Chaudhry, filed a petition seeking pre-arrest bail on his behalf in a terrorism case registered for 'threatening' a female judge and senior police officers in a public rally.
The pre-arrest bail plea contended the case was based on "surmises and conjectures" and that no evidence was available on record against Imran in connection with the case. It also contended that there was no "direct or indirect" evidence available on record against Imran in the case.
Another point which was highlighted in the plea was the assurance that if granted protective bail there will be "no likelihood" of Imran absconding or tampering with prosecution evidence.
It should be noted that a terrorism case was registered against Imran Khan for using derogatory language and threatening Additional Session Judge Zeba Chaudhry in his speech in Islamabad on August 20. Sources say that the text of the PTI chief's August 20 speech has also been included in the FIR.
Imran Khan, addressing a PTI rally in Islamabad, had said that they would file cases against Inspector General Islamabad Police, Deputy IG Islamabad Police and magistrate Zeba Chaudhry for the torture of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari has opposed the arrest of Imran Khan. He believes that the arrest will cause political damage to the ruling alliance.