Imran distances himself from letter ‘praising’ Iftikhar Chaudhry
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ISLAMABAD: Shortly after a letter detailing the PTI chairman’s response to the ex-chief justice was circulated by the media on Monday, Imran Khan said he stands by his statements regarding Iftikhar Chaudhry’s alleged involvement in rigging the May 2013 elections.
In a tweet followed by an address to sit-in participants, Imran said he rejects reports that he lauded the former top judge.
Founding PTI member Imran Ismail said the said letter had been drafted by the lawyer without consultation with Imran Khan.
When contacted by Dawn, Khan’s counsel Hamid Khan said the letter specifically addressed the legal notice served by Iftikhar Chaudhry and was formulated after discussion with the PTI Chairman.
The letter was sent to the former chief justice’s legal team on August 12, he said.
Imran ‘did not abuse judiciary’
On July 25, the former chief justice had sent a Rs20 million defamation notice to the PTI chairman.
However, in a written response to the libel notice which emerged today, Khan’s lawyers said he did not mean to “abuse or disrespect any member of the judiciary”, and urged the former chief justice to “reconsider the idea of entering into personal litigation”.
The letter, filed by Advocate Hamid Khan and dated August 2, said: “Our client has high respect and regard for the judiciary as an institution and would continue to do so in the future.
“We believe that whatever has been said by our client was an expression of disappointment due to the failure of the ECP and the judiciary to dispense justice to him and his party at every level. The language used may not be appropriate but unfortunately so is the nature of discourse during public meetings and political press conferences. He did not mean any of the what you have quoted him to have said. It was only an expression of protest and disappointment stated rather in strong terms.”
Addressing Iftikhar Chaudhry, the letter added: “We believe that it may not be appropriate for a former Chief Justice of Pakistan to enter into any personal litigation. We are aware that your focus has always been on rendering service to the country and did never care about making money…In any case, our lawyer never meant to cause any mental agony or torture or harassment or humiliation to you.”
“We hope that you will reconsider the idea of entering into personal litigation,” it added.
Copy of letter sent by Imran Khan's lawyers to former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry:
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Comments (40) Closed
Aug 25, 2014 08:03pm
So the courts are active on everything except the massive rigging in elections and The Model Town Incident.
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Aug 25, 2014 08:22pm
Letter for the Court, tweet for the public. Imran Khan's politics is simple!
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Aug 25, 2014 08:27pm
This is more exciting than watching a Hollywood Blockbuster. You cannot predict the next scene. So CJ should now continue with his defamation charge and go to court I guess.
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Aug 25, 2014 08:35pm
This drama needs to be ceased now; IK do not further damage your political career. I believe in all you demands, they are in true favor of Pakistan but the process you have adopted of defaming, blaming each n every institute of Pakistan will not win your cause. The aura of self righteous surrounding you, inability to engage politically, no remarkable demonstration of good governance are the reasons you are failing to win the hearts and minds of the majority. Honestly, you are our last hope, we want you to win. Please rethink your approach, show some maturity for this struggle to be successful...
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Aug 25, 2014 08:52pm
This is the norm of PTI they say something and will do other. Lawyer doing its work without consulting the client really?
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Aug 25, 2014 08:59pm
I don't know understand what this letter proves. Imran made a mistake and perhaps Imran is not a good leader (mind you I am not IK's biggest fan). But this letter is no defence against the massive rigging that took place on 2013.
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Aug 25, 2014 09:22pm
"Think a hundred times before you take a decision but once you have taken it stick to it."Quaid-e-Azam .
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Aug 25, 2014 10:02pm
This is called stooping to dirty tactics. Just like ex-CJ son did about Imran not declaring his daughter and suddenly claiming to be sympathetic to her plight.
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Aug 25, 2014 10:04pm
IK (with help from Qadri)and friends are keeping Pakistan hostage in the name of reform. All individuals, courts, costitution etc are wrong except those who agree with them. Of course, why let the facts come in the way of our desires
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Aug 25, 2014 10:11pm
@Talha and IK is realizing this rigging after almost 2 years at a time when there is operation going on against the Taliban. These are the same Talibans that he has been supporting throughout his political career. Is it just a coincidence or is it time for Imran to obey the command of the masters?
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Aug 25, 2014 10:13pm
So it's ok to defame the judiciary but not ISI or army .... Hmmmm
The legal consul is the voice of a person in judicial matters one can not distance from what has been submitted legally
Albeit if u r so naive. Will IK give in legal writing that he stands by what he said then?
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Aug 26, 2014 12:13am
This is a fiasco which Pakistanis would remember for long. Is IK really a contender for PM. He is proving himself thee Sarah Palin of Pakistan with each passing day.
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Aug 26, 2014 12:43am
what sort of this man(Tsunami Khan) is who changes his stance so quickly and in frequency that no can beat him in this field. what a leader and his followers are? its now open secret to all the nation where these dharna merchants will lead the country and nation. Zafar Stockholm
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Aug 26, 2014 01:05am
IK by disputing the letter written by his legal team has revealed the state of mind he is in .He should now declare in public if the letter was sent without his knowledge and consent .Looking at their condition it is better that he & Q both go for a rest in a cooler country after handing their parties to elected successors to avoid causingtheir parties and Pakistan any further damage.
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Aug 26, 2014 01:59am
Honest public opinion about the last election is simple "Grossly Rigged", there are several reasons to believe this.
1. Suddenly change of winning pattern during the vi hours of result counting.
2. PML N celebrating the victory even when results from half of the polling booths did not come.
3. Two foreign countries congratulating PML N chief Nawaz even before the results were declared by the election commission.
4. Use of fake ballot paper non-worthy of verification, duly acknowledge by interior minister
5. Wide spread transfer of officials mostly in Punjab just before the elections.
6. Several other suspected happenings declassified by Mr. Afzal Khan.
Under the above circumstances how can the house be called legitimate. The only answer is formation of neutral caretaker government acceptable to all & a fresh election held totally under control of the army.
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Aug 26, 2014 02:38am
Another u-turn, so what's new with IK?
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Aug 26, 2014 02:44am
@Anjum Arshi
Not as simple as simpleton YOU.
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Aug 26, 2014 02:46am
@PakCanuck
Move to Saudi Arabia, or USA.
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Aug 26, 2014 02:48am
@Riaz
It is the likes of you causing damage to your country.
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Aug 26, 2014 02:56am
Mr. IK this is how people like u make us disappointed you still dont have courage to say that Mr. EX. CJ you have been involved in systematic rigging and have caused damaged to the institution of Supreme Court and post of CJ and to ECP,your efforts brought a government which is not reflecting peoples
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Aug 26, 2014 03:05am
@Khan this letter means that Imran did not mean it when he said that former CJ had deliberately facilitated righing by asking the ROs ( who were district level judges) to systematically allow vote tampering so as to benefit PML-N.
No one questions whether there were individual instances of vote tampering. What is being questioned is whether all the institutions (EC,CJ, ROs who happened to be district judge, interim government) all collaborated to help Nawaz - who by the way was not even the PM, nor was his party in power at that time.
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Aug 26, 2014 03:15am
I think these are the views of Hamid Khan, not IK since Hamid Khan was the friend of Iftikhar chaudhary
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Aug 26, 2014 03:40am
I don't get the deal with people blasting Imran Khan for defaming each and every institution of Pakistan for being corrupt. I'm not being self righteous but corruption is largely prevalent in almost every walk of life in Pakistan, what's the big surprise? I used to think Imran Khan is a deranged conspiracy theorist but after the leak of Rana Mashood's video tape, I respect IK more than ever.
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Aug 26, 2014 03:53am
@Talha You are dead wrong. This is a letter from your prince's lawyer in response to former CJ's letter to him. Where is the involvement of the court? But it is coming along with another u-turn.
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Aug 26, 2014 04:02am
For those still trying to figure the whole thing out:
1) The ECP rigged the elections.
2) The interm govt was in on it.
3) The judiciary was corrupt.
4) The EU Election Observer Mission was wrong when they said that the elections were more free and fair than previous elections in the country.
5) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan was fooled when the said that they did not find any credible evidence of large-scale.
6) Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) was wrong when they said that evidence from more than 41,000 FAFEN observers shows that the election reflect the free will of the people through a relatively fair process.
How do we know all this? because IK told us :)
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Aug 26, 2014 04:03am
@Khan It proves that the Prince gets carried away in abusing other people. When it comes to be accountable, he back tracks. This story is not finished. The case is most likely going to go to the court.
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Aug 26, 2014 04:45am
The letter. So what. That was then and it was needed purely for legal reasons. Legal Decisions made for particular events do not necessarily translate into ones political ideology. Changing ones decision about legal matters depending upon the need shows "door andeshi " Which is good. This is only a letter , we are not talking about IKs ideology ( which should not change and should not show flexibility )and he has proved that he remains persistent regarding his demands. From day 1 after the election.
Anyways this letter has NOTHING to do about the reason this march is about.
Ex CJ has a lot to answer. Because of whom Supreme Court has to do a lot of damage control.
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Aug 26, 2014 05:12am
@Masoud ,you are a lunatic,every thing is false whatever you made up in this comment. Wake up it never ever happened , only in your disillusioned fantasy.
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Aug 26, 2014 05:25am
@M.Zafar Iqbal
Changing stance is not a national issue. The national issue are corruption, plundering of national wealth, rigging in elections. IK has demonstrated integrity
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Aug 26, 2014 05:35am
@PakCanuck
Who is keeping Pakistan Hostage?
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Aug 27, 2014 06:51am
Goes to prove IK is nothing but a double faced crook hired by master crook Mush to help him escape to London via Dubai.
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Aug 27, 2014 07:02am
IK first deliver in KPK where your party is in power. I don't see any change there
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Aug 27, 2014 08:17am
Huge letter, five pages, no mention of the response to the charge of criminal defamation and libel.
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Aug 27, 2014 08:48am
I was telling my family that this guy is as corrupt as anyone else in Pakistan even when he was lauded as a hero. He stood up to Musharraf just for his own power....
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Aug 27, 2014 12:27pm
Evidences are coming now which strengthen the claim of Imran Khan that Iftikhar chaudry was the master mind of the alleged rigging.So the PTI leadership have now reviewed their strategy which was expressed in their letter.I think they did well to counter the attacks on them from all sides of the forces of status quo who all have joined hands to defend and protect the corrupt government in which all these forces have great stakes.
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Aug 27, 2014 03:16pm
U turn khan. IK says he had no knowledg. But his counsels admits having discussed it with IK. Have had a little legal experience myself. A counsel always asks the client to review the comments and give acceptence. This guy is not sadiq or ameen. A liar not fit to even hold a village counsel seat.
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Aug 27, 2014 03:21pm
@K Alam Hamid Khan.is IKs legal counsel and cannot file any document on his behalf unless authorized to do so. IK is a u-turn khan. By accepting the CJs accomplishments in court means IK accepts that all allegations against the CJ are mere propoganda and hold no truth.
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Aug 27, 2014 03:23pm
@Izhar Mere allegations and no evidence thats whats coming in.
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Aug 28, 2014 01:42am
@Akil Akhtar you said "I was telling my family that this guy is as corrupt as anyone else in Pakistan even when he was lauded as a hero. He stood up to Musharraf just for his own power...." I am not sure about the corruption part, but I certainly always thought of him as a fraud and biased not only towards PML-N but also towards many of our Sunni extremist groups.
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Aug 28, 2014 01:45am
The day the letter was issued, it was clear that IK had nothing to do with it. Because a fraud and biased person is always that. I hope IK sacks the lawyers involved.
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