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PTI chief Imran Khan’s lawyer submitted an application to the Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday to defer a hearing in a contempt case filed against the former prime minister for allegedly flouting a May 25 court order that defined the limits for his party’s ‘Azadi March’ at the time.
The deferral was sought on the grounds of Imran’s hospitalisation after he was wounded in Thursday’s gun attack in Wazirabad and would not be able to submit a reply sought by the court in the previous hearing.
The interior ministry had approached the SC for contempt of court charges against Imran on October 13 for allegedly flouting the court’s order in which, the petition recalled, the apex court directed the PTI to hold its ‘Azadi March’ gathering in a ground located between sectors H-9 and G-9.
The plea stated the that court had designated the area for the protest in view of the categorical assurances on behalf of the party’s top leadership and their counsel that their rally would not cause any inconvenience or blockage of the Srinagar Highway or trouble the public and that the rally would be conducted in a peaceful and lawful manner.
However, Imran and his supporters made their way towards D-Chowk in alleged contravention of court orders, the plea alleged.
At the last hearing, the SC had given Imran a chance to explain the alleged flouting of the court order and sought a detailed reply from him by November 5 (today).
The application said Imran had been hospitalised due to an “unfortunate incident” — a gun attack that caused him an injury in the shin — and could not submit a reply.
It prayed the court not to hold the hearing scheduled on November 7 and not fix the case for a hearing for now.
The govt’s plea
The federal government, through the interior ministry, had approached the Supreme Court for initiating contempt of court proceedings against Imran for violating its May 25 order, wherein the PTI was restricted from holding its ‘Azadi March’ near Peshawar Mor between the H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad. However, Imran and his supporters made their way towards D-Chowk in alleged contravention of court orders.
According to the petition, the apex court had in its May order directed the PTI to hold a gathering on a ground located between sectors H-9 and G-9 in view of the categorical assurances on behalf of the party’s top leadership and their counsel that their rally would not cause any inconvenience or blockage of the Srinagar Highway or trouble the public and that the rally would be conducted in a peaceful and lawful manner.
Despite these assurances, the PTI top leadership, acting in blatant disregard for the directions, exhorted its supporters to reach D-Chowk, falsely professing that the court had allowed the march without any conditions, it added.
The contempt petition pleaded for the implementation of the apex court order for the protection of the fundamental rights of the public, particularly residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
It also requested that the Supreme Court should also issue comprehensive guidelines for all future protests to be held in the federal capital that should include prior intimation of the date, selection of the venue, assurance of not causing any hindrance to public life and a commitment to ensure that the protesters would not cause any damage to public or private property.
The plea also claimed the tone and tenor adopted by the PTI chairman in his speeches against the incumbent rulers and state institutions was “highly inflammatory”, aimed at encouraging distrust and contempt and instigating revolt.
This had caused significant alarm not only among the public, but also the international community and investors regarding the impact of this purported ‘jihad’, the petition claimed, adding the past conduct of the party head, especially the events of May 25 and his violation of court orders, his alleged encouragement of destruction of public and private property and disruption of law and order, merited strong directions from the apex court about his upcoming protests.