Didn’t disobey order deliberately, Imran Khan replies to Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Chairman of Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the reports prepared by various agencies in response to the Supreme Court’s order of May 26 are unilateral and intended to absolve them (state agencies) of the grave violation of Constitution and the law committed by them in launching an assault on the people of Pakistan on May 24 and 25, 2022.

The former prime minister submitted his reply, sought by the Supreme Court over the violation of its May 25, 2022 order issued regarding the Azadi March on Islamabad. A five-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umber Ata Bandial, in the petition of the Interior Ministry seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Imran Khan for violating its order of May 25, had sought a reply from the PTI chairman.

In his reply submitted before the court, the former prime minister denied that any facts or the reports submitted by law enforcement agencies prove that he intentionally or wilfully disobeyed and disregarded the order of the apex court passed on May 25, 2022.

“The reports filed by the Islamabad Capital Territory police, the IB, and ISI contain inferences and presumptions not supported by the facts,” Imran Khan submitted, adding that the aforesaid reports do not provide a basis for the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against him.

He denied that the material which establishes culpability on his part as regards wilful defiance or disobedience of the order of the apex court has been placed before the apex court. “It is denied that I am liable to be proceeded against for contempt of this court,” he submitted, adding that reports, prepared by various agencies regarding its order of May 26, are unilateral and purposefully designed to absolve the state agencies of the grave violation of Constitution and the law committed by them in launching an assault on the people of Pakistan on May 24 and 25, 2022.

The former prime minister submitted that the said reports do not establish or provide any basis for maintaining contempt of court proceedings against him, adding that many of the findings in the said reports are based on presumptions or inferences negated by the facts.

He, in his reply, said he did not disobey the Supreme Court’s order deliberately and that he was unaware of the order related to the May 25 events. He sought the Supreme Court’s indulgence and termination of the contempt proceedings sought by the petitioner i.e. the Ministry of Interior.

He submitted that he has neither glamourised a trend of maligning the judiciary and state institutions nor has he condoned or encouraged such behaviour or any smear campaign against the judiciary and state institutions.

“I have always taken positions that I have sincerely believed to be principled and constructive,” he submitted, adding he looks up to the apex court for the protection of the rights to liberty, dignity, and free speech, as well as all other fundamental rights guaranteed to the people of Pakistan by the Constitution.

He submitted that the apex court feels that the order dated May 25, 2022, was not complied with by him, and he assures the court that he was not made aware at any relevant time during the evening of May 25, 2022, of the detailed contents of the verbal order made by the apex court at about 6:05pm on that day.

“From a perusal of this court’s dated May 25, 2022, it is clear that this court had directed at 6:05 pm, the Secretary of the Ministry of Interior as well as the IGP, Islamabad, IGP, Punjab, and the deputy commissioner of Attock to facilitate a meeting of the designated PTI leadership in Islamabad, including Babar Awan, with him and their safe return, but no such meeting was facilitated,” the PTI chairman submitted.

He stated that, guided by the spirit and purpose of this court intervention on May 25, 2022, he had issued directions to his party members to ensure that political activity is carried out in a dignified manner. He submitted that from a reading of the apex court’s decision of May 26, 2022, particularly the order of Justice Yahya Afridi, it would appear that an incomplete version of his statement made at about 6:45 pm on May 25, 2022, at Chhach Interchange in Attock was played in the court and an incomplete transcript of the said statement was provided.

“The statement made by him reflected what he had received,” he contended, adding that based on the said information, he related to the people of Pakistan the good news that this court had directed the removal of obstructions to the exercise of constitutional rights of the people as regards movement and assembly.

He submitted that he called upon the families (women and children) to attend the protest gathering at D-Chowk in the sincere belief that such a gathering would be peaceful and not in violation of any order of this court.

He denied that the people who were walking on different streets and roads in Islamabad were subject to any plan or conception concerning violence or damage to public and private properties, including police vehicles, trees, and bushes.

“The people who were exercising their constitutional rights of movement, assembly and association were unarmed and included women and children,” he contended, adding that the violence was initiated by state authorities and that the clashes that occurred and ensuing damage cannot be attributed to the people or the leadership of the PTI.

He submitted that the role of miscreants deliberately planted by persons having nothing to do with the PTI, its leadership, him, or the public at large cannot be ruled out. The former prime minister submitted that he called off the meeting at D-Chowk on May 25, 2022, to protect the people from the violence unleashed by the state authorities and in furtherance of his desire to ensure order in the city and the country at large.

It is pertinent to mention that the Interior Ministry had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to initiate contempt proceedings under Article 204 of the Constitution against PTI Chief Imran Khan for flouting and disregarding the orders of the apex court passed on May 25, 2022, in the petition filed by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association.