Top court rejects government’s plea seeking show-cause notice for ex-PM Khan over his protest in May

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top court on Wednesday declined to issue a show-cause notice to former prime minister Imran Khan after the government accused him of committing contempt of court by violating an order specifying the limits of his party’s anti-government protest in the capital earlier this year, reported the local media. 
Khan, who was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April, brought his workers and followers to the federal capital in May to bring down the government. However, he told the sympathizers of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to disperse after clashes with police. 
The former prime minister announced on Tuesday to march on Islamabad on October 28 while adding that his party and supporters were fighting for the “country’s future.” 
The government, which also went to the Supreme Court earlier this month to seek a verdict against PTI’s political agitation, brought up the issue once again while urging the judges to issue the show-cause notice. In response, four out of five judges on the bench decided to seek a response from Khan over the issue to determine if such a notice needed to be sent to him. 
“The Supreme Court (SC) rejected … a government request to issue a show-cause notice to PTI chief Imran Khan for allegedly flouting a May 25 order of the apex court that defined the limits for the party’s ‘Azadi March’ gathering in Islamabad and thereby committing contempt of court,” reported the Dawn newspaper. 
“A five-member SC bench, in a 4-1 split decision, instead sought a reply from Imran on the matter before deciding on issuing him a notice,” it continued. “The decision came after the bench took up the interior ministry’s plea against the former prime minister.” 
During the hearing, additional attorney general Amir Rehman told the court Khan had asked people “to reach D-Chowk” in front of the national parliament which was far removed from the area designated by the court for the PTI rally. 
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial recalled that Khan had mentioned the court verdict at the time which mentioned the removal of roadblocks, adding it seemed that he had been informed about the order. 
“But the question is what was Imran told,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “Imran should make it clear as to who said what.” 
“We don’t want to make headlines,” he said while addressing the government’s plea to issue the show-cause notice. “We want the supremacy of the law.” 
The chief justice added once Khan submitted his reply, the court would “review whether he [had] committed contempt.” 
A senior PTI leader, Asad Umar, announced during the day the PTI march would depart from Lahore on October 29 and reach the federal capital on November 4. 
The court adjourned the hearing until October 31.