ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Friday said the threat he issued to a woman judge at a rally last month was not tantamount to “terrorism” and a case lodged against him for that be dismissed, local media reported.
The Islamabad police had registered the case against Khan on August 21 for “terrorizing” top Islamabad police officials and the judge, who had remanded his chief of staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, in police custody in a sedition case. Khan is on bail in the terrorism case till September 12.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had also initiated contempt proceedings against the former premier, while Pakistan’s national media regulator, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had ordered a ban on live broadcast of his speeches in public rallies. The IHC later suspended the ban, however, Khan is expected to be indicted in the contempt-of-court case on September 22.
Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, called for the dismissal of the case in a written reply submitted through his attorney to a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the terrorism case against him.
“I am the chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, I have been the prime minister of Pakistan, the government tortured [my aide] Shahbaz Gill due to political opposition, the report filed in the Islamabad High Court proved the torture of Shahbaz Gill,” Pakistan’s Geo News channel quoted Khan as telling the JIT.
On August 20, Khan had rallied his supporters in Islamabad against the arrest and alleged torture of Gill in custody of police. The Islamabad police and the government have denied the allegations.
In his address with supporters, the former premier had said they would not “spare” the Islamabad inspector general and the deputy inspector general, and “take action” against the woman judge who remanded Gill in custody. Gill has been in jail for his remarks, in which he asked officers not to follow orders of their top command if they were “against the sentiments of the masses.”
Khan said his statement at the Islamabad rally could not be categorized as “terrorism,” adding he neither committed any illegal act nor harmed anyone.
The former premier was directed by a court to be a part of the investigation and appear before the JIT at the Margalla police station Friday afternoon, but he did not show up, according to the report.
Last week, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad had extended interim bail of the former premier till September 12 in the terrorism case related to his controversial remarks about Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and the capital city police officials.
Khan, who was ousted in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April, has accused the United States of orchestrating his ouster, an allegation denied by Washington and Khan’s opponents.
The former premier, who has been increasingly critical of the Pakistani government and the military, seeks fresh elections in the country, for which he is holding back-to-back rallies across the country.