ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared on Friday before the court of Zeba Chaudhry, the female judge he was accused in a contempt case of threatening, and said he wanted to apologize if his words hurt her.
Last week, Khan said sorry in the contempt of court case and promised not to hurt the dignity of the judiciary, a concession that could avoid his disqualification from politics.
The charges are related to a speech by Khan in which he allegedly threatened police and a female judge last month after one of his close aides was denied bail in a sedition case.
The Islamabad High Court had been expected to indict Khan, a move that could have led to his disqualification from politics for at least five years under Pakistani laws, if convicted.
“Please let [judge] Madam Zeba [Chaudhry] know that Imran Khan had come and he wanted to apologize if any of his words hurt her feelings,” Khan told the court reader. “From my side, please let her know. Do tell her.”
Khan left without meeting the judge, who was reportedly on leave.
Last week at the indictment hearing in the case, Khan told the court he was sorry if he had “crossed any line,” saying he would willingly apologize to the judge if she felt it necessary.
“We are, prima facie, satisfied,” the order by a five-member court panel said, instricting Khan to submit an affidavit for consideration of the court before the next date of hearing, October 3.
Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, told media after the hearing he expected charges would now mostly be dropped:
“We will prepare and submit in writing an unconditional apology as sought by the court.”
The cricket-star turned politician has faced a barrage of legal woes since his ouster in a vote of no-confidence in April by a united opposition led by his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Another of the critical cases against him is related to foreign funding for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which an inquiry by an election tribunal has found unlawful.