Imran Khan to respond to contempt notice

Imran Khan will personally appear in Pakistan's Supreme Court tomorrow to respond to a contempt of court notice issued over his comments about the judiciary's role in the May 11 general election.
The apex court's registrar issued the notice to the head of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf party yesterday and directed him to appear in court to explain why action should not be taken against him for his remarks against the court and its judges during a news conference on July 26.
"Prima facie, it seems that Imran Khan has started a deliberate campaign to scandalise the court and bring the judges into hatred, ridicule or contempt," Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry noted in his written order.

A notice was also issued to Attorney General Munir A Malik.
Khan has criticised the apex court for moving the presidential election from August 6 to July 30. He has also accused the court and the Election Commission of failing to hold free and fair polls on May 11.
In recent interviews and news conferences, he has lambasted the Supreme Court for not taking notice of what he described as the "most rigged elections" in the country's history.
The Chief Justice took notice of the matter after the Registrar presented to him clippings from different newspapers containing the speeches and remarks of Khan.

The Supreme Court said Khan had uttered "derogatory" remarks against the judiciary and it seemed that Khan was trying to scandalise the court.