ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday asked the Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) to carry out its obligation for complying with a non-bailable arrest warrant issued for former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case relating to contempt of the electoral body on July 11.
The development came hours after the ousted premier, who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote last year, got relief as the Supreme Court restricted the police from arresting Khan till August 9 in the case of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar’s murder in Quetta.
Irked by his persistent absence from the hearings, the ECP instructed the Islamabad IG to arrest Imran and present him before the electoral watchdog tomorrow (Tuesday).
The former prime minister was skipping the hearings despite being summoned in a personal capacity time and again.
The PTI chairman will appear before the four-member ECP bench tomorrow (Tuesday), confirmed his counsel Sher Afzal Khan Marwat.
Khan’s counsel made the remarks as the ECP has instructed the Islamabad police chief to arrest the deposed prime minister and present him before the bench tomorrow at 10am. The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued for the PTI chief in a case registered against him for using foul language against the election authority and his chief in public meetings.
Moreover, it is pertinent to mention here that the PTI chief had started targeting the ECP and its chief after being disqualified by the electoral watchdog in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
In August last year, the ECP issued notices to Khan and other leaders of his party for passing inappropriate remarks and levelling allegations against the commission and its members.
The content of the notices stated that Khan used “insulting and indecent language” against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in his rallies on July 12, 18, 21, 27, August 4 and 8.
“You have used contemptuous remarks and levelled baseless allegations against the CEC,” the notice sent to Khan read.
The commission further stated that these leaders have “willfully and intentionally scandalised, ridiculed, and maligned the integrity” of the CEC which has brought into disrespect the reputation of Sikander Sultan Raja.
The ECP further accused them of instigating the public against the CEC by using contemptuous language which is an “attempt to prejudice the process of forthcoming election which constitute a clear contempt of the commission.”
On July 20, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tendered an apology to the ECP in the contempt case filed against him by the electoral watchdog.
Fawad, after being instructed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), appeared before the ECP with his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, during which he tendered an apology to the commission and pleaded to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him.
He said whatever he said was related to the party’s narrative while he was its spokesperson.
“It was the party’s position that I described. I respect the institutions including the ECP,” The former information minister.
He further said whatever he said was related to the party’s narrative while he was its spokesperson. “It was the party’s position that I described. I respect the institutions including the ECP.”
Fawad was then asked by the CEC if he would kill anyone on the orders of the party chief. Raja also lamented about the ill language spoken against him, his family, and the commission during public gatherings.
The former federal minister was then asked to submit a written apology to the ECP, which it will review later. The hearing was adjourned until August 1.
Earlier this week, the IHC, on Fawad’s plea, suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him by the electoral body due to his non-appearance in a hearing. –Agencies
