SC to resume hearing of federal govt's contempt petition against PTI chairman today.

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court of Pakistan will Monday (today) resume hearing of a contempt petition of the federal government against the PTI Chairman Imran Khan for violating the commitment given to the apex court not to hold a protest at D-Chowk.

A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Mazahar Akbar Naqvi will conduct hearing of the contempt petition wherein it had previously expressed its displeasure over the conduct of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsels Babar Awan and Faisal Fareed saying that they have breached Court's trust.

The court had also directed Pakistan Chairman PTI Imran Khan to file a detailed reply on the agencies' reports and the federal government's allegations that the undertaking given to the Court was breached.

The Chief Justice said; 'We moved in this case carefully and so far they have exercised great restraint.' The court expressed surprise that how Imran Khan on arriving Islamabad at night on May 25 stated he was aware of the order while in his reply he maintained that he was unaware of the SC order, wherein Azadi March was restricted from entering D-Chowk.

Justice Bandial further said that on May 25 the order was issued to maintain peace. He added: 'We do not want our pen to be misused. We have to protect the Constitution.' Referring to the PTI protest, the CJP said that they bring 20,000 people and make the lives of 200,000 people miserable. He also recalled the judgment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa regarding Faizabad dharna, which was issued in light of the TLP sit-in at Faizabad. Justice Bandial also said, 'If you believe in democracy, then it would not have happened (violated the SC order).' The political leadership should be a role model to the common citizens, he added.

Justice Ijaz said that as an officer of the court, the Court always trusts the...