'Don't downplay seriousness of terrorism charges,' IHC CJ tells govt in terror case against Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday told the government not to downplay charges as serious as terrorism while questioning whether PTI Chairman Imran Khan's speech against a female judge and Islamabad police warrants the offence.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah made the remarks while hearing a plea seeking dismissal of the terror case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Khan was booked in a case under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ACT) for making threatening remarks against an additional sessions judge and senior officials of the Islamabad Police in his speech at a rally.

The party had moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to grant Khan transit bail till August 25, but the court had directed the former premier to approach an ATC as it was a terror case.

The FIR registered against Khan states that he threatened Additional Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and police officers at a rally in F-9 Park to 'terrorise' police officials and the judiciary.

The main aim was to prevent the police officers and judiciary from carrying out their legal obligations, states the FIR. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Magistrate Ali Javed in Islamabad's Margalla Police Station under Section 7 of ATA.

A two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Saman Rifat conducted hearing on PTI's plea.

At the outset of the hearing, the Justice Minallah said that the court had ordered Imran Khan to join the investigation and asked the investigation officer to guide the court on whether the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) is applicable...