ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered removal of terrorism clauses in a case registered against former prime minister Imran Khan for allegedly threatening top police officials and a judge at a rally in August, local media reported.
The Islamabad police had filed the case against Khan on August 21 for “terrorizing” police officials and an additional district and sessions judge during his address with supporters in the federal capital last month to express solidarity with his chief of staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, who had been arrested on charges of sedition on August 9.
The former prime minister alleged Gill had been tortured in police custody, saying he would not “spare” the Islamabad inspector general and the deputy inspector general and “take action” against the woman judge who had remanded Gill in their custody.
In his written response to investigators this month, Khan maintained his statement at the Islamabad rally could not be categorized as “terrorism,” adding he neither committed any illegal act nor harmed anyone.
A two-member bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, on Monday announced the verdict on a plea filed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, seeking dismissal of the terrorism case.
“A terror case can be lodged for creating an atmosphere of fear and terror, not on the possibility of creation of such an atmosphere,” Pakistan’s Geo News channel quoted Khan’s lawyer as contending at Monday’s hearing.
Chief Justice Minallah inquired about the views given by a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the case, to which special prosecutor, Rizwan Abbasi, replied the investigators were of the view that Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) sections were applicable to the former premier’s statement, according to the report.
Khan’s lawyer opposed the argument, saying some basic factors required to warrant terrorism charges were missing in the case.
The court ordered the authorities to remove ATA sections from the case. A trial court earlier granted Khan bail till September 20 in the same case.
The ex-premier is also facing contempt proceedings initiated by the IHC for his controversial remarks at the Islamabad rally. He is likely to be indicted in the contempt case on September 22.