Imran 'inadvertently' ignored SC orders on D-Chowk protest.

ISLAMABAD -- Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court, which is hearing a contempt plea against him, that any 'misconception' on his part was entirely 'inadvertent' and caused by the circumstances in which the verbal order passed by the court on the evening of May 25 and 'understood' by TV channels, was communicated to him by political workers.

The PTI chairman also requested the court to close the case initiated against him by the federal government for supposedly reneging on the categorical assurances he had extended in relation to the May 25 Azadi March events.

At the same time, he denied that reports furnished by law enforcement agencies, including ISI, IB and capital police, had established that he had intentionally or wilfully disobeyed, disregarded or flouted the court's directions.

He said those reports also claimed that the court had passed verbal orders at 6:05pm on May 25, the contents of which were not and could not have been directly communicated to him by his counsel Babar Awan or Faisal Fareed.

In fresh response to govt's contempt petition, PTI chief asks court to close the case

Mr Khan said the written order was made available to him the next day.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, a five-judge Supreme Court bench is hearing the government's petition for initiating contempt proceedings against Mr Khan and his counsel Babar Awan and Faisal Fareed.

The two lawyers also furnished their replies on Wednesday.

Mr Awan requested the bench to drop his name from the case since he had never, intentionally or unintentionally misled the court, while Mr Fareed sought dismissal of the contempt petition with cost.

The court had on Nov 7 issued the direction, asking the respondents to file fresh replies to allegations levelled by Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman that the PTI leadership had violated its assurances that the...