Imran Khan to explain speech as Pakistan court mulls contempt

Bloomberg

A court in Pakistan told former Prime Minister Imran Khan to explain in writing his angry comments against a female judge who had denied bail to Khan’s close aid, as it continues to mull initiating contempt proceedings against him.
A five-judge panel headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed the former leader to submit a response within a week explaining why he shouldn’t be charged for contempt of court, Khan’s associate Rauf Hasan said.
In a written response Tuesday Khan had told the court it had pre-judged his comments and denied threatening the judge at a rally earlier this month. However, he said he would take back his words if they were “inappropriate,” the Dawn newspaper reported. The court is seeking an apology from Khan before dismissing the case against him, Geo television said, citing legal experts.
Wednesday’s hearing at the Islamabad High Court was held amid tight security. In the past, courts have given a six-month jail term to people accused of contempt of court.