PTI chief used inappropriate words but anti-terrorism clauses can’t be applied: IHC

THREATENING A WOMAN JUDGE.

We are here to protect the judge as contempt of court proceedings are going on: IHC CJ.

 

ISLAMABAD   -   The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Thurs­day instructed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) consti­tuted by Islamabad Police to determine whether an FIR registered under anti-terrorism laws could be estab­lished against PTI chairman Imran Khan or not regarding his threaten­ing speech against a woman judge of a District and Sessions Court and police high ups. 

Chief Justice Athar Minallah ob­served that although PTI chair­man had used inappropriate words during his speech but Anti Terror­ism Act (ATA)’s clauses could not be applied on this.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Jus­tice Saman Raffat Imtiaz was hear­ing the plea seeking to quash FIR against the PTI chairman. 

At the outset of hearing, the chief justice remarked that the court had asked Imran Khan to join the investigation, and had also in­structed the investigating officer to tell whether provisions of ATA could be applied or not.

Special Prosecutor Rizwan Ab­basi told the court that Imran Khan had appeared before the in­vestigation team the other day. The chief justice inquired from the prosecution that what was said in the speech and how the terrorism clauses could be applied directing the prosecutor to read out the ex­cerpts of the speech. 

The prosecutor then read out the excerpts from Imran Khan’s speech that he delivered in F-9 Park, Is­lamabad, last month. The prosecu­tor read out: “Magistrate Zeba, get ready, we will take action against you.” He said that terrorism clause was applicable in this case.

Chief Justice Athar Minullah further asked the prosecutor that whether there was anything else other than his speech which was tantamount of committing terror by the accused. 

The chief justice further went on to state that the charge against the accused was serious, also recalling that there was a decision of the Su­preme Court related to where the anti-terror laws could be applied. 

Justice Athar Minallah asked that whether both IGPs were so weak that they were affected by these words. 

To which, the Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi replied that it makes a dif­ference if the remarks were uttered by a former prime minister.

The chief Justice also inquired that following the accused’ ap­pearance before the JIT, a day ear­lier, for interrogation, was there any attack made during that time, also adding that cases made by in­voking clauses related to terror­ism should not be made like this, as happened in the PTI chief case. 

Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that many police personnel were martyred in the incidents of terror­ism. He remarked that they were here to protect the judge as con­tempt of court proceedings were go­ing on in this matter. The chief jus­tice said that do not bring the crime of terrorism to such a small level.