Contempt case against ex-PM Khan dropped

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Charges that were held against Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan were dropped today by a court in Islamabad, his attorney said, thus easing him of a contempt case and the threat of his disqualification from politics.

Khan submitted his apology in person last month after he was charged with contempt of court for delivering a speech on August 20 in which he allegedly threatened Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior Islamabad police officials for arresting and torturing his aide Shahbaz Gill.

Khan and his legal team made it clear in the five-page long letter that his remarks made no reference to a threat.

Under Pakistani law, a conviction may cause a politician to lose qualification from elections and assumption of official positions for five years and more.

His attorney, Faisal Chaudhry, said on Monday, "Imran Khan extended his apology in honor and respect for the judiciary, and the court today reciprocated by discharging the case against him."

Prior to the dropping of the charges, the police did not dispatch an arrest team while Khan had an arrest warrant. 

Given his wide base of popular support, the dispatch of an arrest team would have inevitably caused havoc within the nation.

Khan is seen by his supporters as a "red line" that must never be crossed.

Pakistan’s red line: Imran Khan.. don’t cross it! #کپتان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن pic.twitter.com/9miNnG3JLJ

— PTI (@PTIofficial) October 1, 2022

Since his ousting from power following a vote of no-confidence last April, Imran Khan has actively organized a series of popular anti-government demonstrations and faced a slew of charges along with other members of his political party Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The country's rulers have a history of using the police and courts to silence political opponents, and Premier Sharif has several pending cases brought against him while he was in opposition.

Read more: Imran Khan accepts court ruling on confidence vote, despite alleging 'conspiracy'