ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is appearing today before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which is hearing the contempt of court case proceedings against him.
Babar Awan, Imran’s legal aide is presenting the case before the five-member ECP bench headed by the chief election commissioner. Awan is accompanying Khan with PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and leaders Shafqat Mehmood and Naeemul Haque.
Awan requested the bench to resolve the contempt of court case against Imran Khan as, in respect for institutions and rule of law, Mr. Khan himself has voluntarily decided to appear before the ECP.
He said that the party wants to take back and reconsider the request submitted before ECP on January 9. However, the ECP ordered PTI Chairman to present written apology over his earlier issued remarks.
The petitioner against Imran, PTI’s founding member Akbar Babar, also arrived at the ECP.
On October 12, the ECP had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Imran but they were suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.
On October 12, the ECP issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Imran in relation to a contempt of court case against him.
Earlier on September 14, the ECP had issued bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan following his failure to show up for the contempt of court proceedings. The warrants were later suspended by the IHC on the PTI’s petition.
A five-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan, ordered police to arrest Imran and present him before the commission on October 26.
On September 14, the ECP had issued bailable warrants against Imran to ensure his presence in the case but the IHC, on September 20, suspended the bailable arrest warrants as well.
Previously, ECP had issued the contempt notice to Mr. Khan on January 24 over his “scandalous remarks” about the commission.
Akbar Babar, the petitioner who had filed the foreign funding case against the PTI leadership, had notified the ECP that the PTI chief had accused it of being biased in the foreign funding case following which his lawyer offered submitted an apology for the commission.
Imran Khan had initially challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction and contempt proceedings against him, but the commission declared on August 10 that it has the statutory authority to hear Imran’s contempt case.
On several occasions, Imran has accused the ECP, among other government institutions, of being biased and working for the interests of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
