Imran reaches female judge’s court to offer apology

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan appeared on Friday before the court of Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, the female judge he had allegedly threatened at a public rally, to apologise.

Khan was booked in a case for allegedly threatening judicial magistrate Zeba Chaudhry and police officers at a rally in F-9 Park on August 20, to “terrorise” police officials and the judiciary.

The main aim was to prevent the police officers and judiciary from carrying out their legal obligations, stated the first information report (FIR), which was registered on the complaint of Magistrate Ali Javed at Islamabad’s Margalla police station under Section 7 of ATA.

However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) quashed the terror charges and directed transferring the case to a relevant court under the remaining sections in the FIR on September 19.

“Prima facie, not a single section included in the case is applicable [to Imran Khan’s speech],” the court had observed. On September 22, during a hearing of a contempt case in IHC, Khan also requested the court to allow him to apologise to judge Zeba Chaudhry in person.

Upon Khan’s arrival at the court in the morning, the police closed the door of Zeba Chaudhry’s courtroom. “I have come to apologise to judge Zeba Chaudhry,” Khan told the court reader. He asked the reader to stay witness for his appearance in Chaudhry’s court to offer an apology, as the judge herself was on leave.

The PTI chairman asked the court reader to tell Madam Zeba Chaudhry that he had visited and wanted to apologise if any of his words hurt her sentiments. Khan then left the court after a brief conversation.