ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to submit a report by Monday,September 19, if former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan could be charged on counts of terrorism for his F9-Park speech.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah was hearing a plea submitted by Imran Khan to dismiss terrorism case against him that was registered against him after his F-9 park speech.
Former prime minister had threatened to take “legal action” against the inspector general of Islamabad police, his deputy and a female judge of the lower court who had approved PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s physical remand despite alleged evidence of torture on him.
Subsequently, the IHC summoned Imran in a court of contempt case for the alleged threats and had directed PEMRA to submit the record of his speech.
Imran Khan warned against alleviation of terrorism charges, “Or people will stop fearing it.”
After Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi read the text of Imran Khan’s speech, the chief justice remarked that the content of the speech does not contain anything that could be tied to terrorism or its intention thereof.
“Is the Islamabad inspector general of police so weak that a speech can instill terror in his heart?” Justice Minallah asked the prosecution during the hearing.
He also asked if the authorities witnessed an attack after the former prime minister’s speech.
During the previous hearing, the chief justice heading the division bench had grilled the prosecution about the instance of terrorism in the events that unfolded during or after the former prime minister’s fiery speech.
He had asked the prosecutor to refrain from mixing terrorism charges with contempt of court.
