Pak poll body hints at indicting PTI Chief Imran in contempt case next month
Oct 28, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], October 28 : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has indicated that a charge sheet will be filed against Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry and they will be indicted if they fail to appear in the contempt case.
The electoral watchdog announced the decision on Wednesday after Imran Khan and the two other leaders of his party failed to appear before the court despite repeated warnings, Dawn reported.
"We will have no other choice after Nov 10, but to charge-sheet Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry if they fail to appear in the contempt case," ECP member from Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani said while heading a four-member bench that heard the contempt of ECP and CEC case against the three leaders.
However, Imran Khan's counsel, Anwar Mansoor argued that the question of the legality of the show-cause notice should be decided first, adding that the show-cause notices were illegal unless the issue is resolved.
Later, the hearing of the case was adjourned for an indefinite period. The ECP had, on Aug 19, issued notices to Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, according to Dawn.
The three were asked to appear before the ECP in person on Sept 27 after written replies from two of them had been rejected as 'unsatisfactory'.
Earlier, IHC approved the pre-arrest bail of Khan and directed him to appear before the court concerned before October 7 after he filed a petition with the Islamabad High Court through his counsel Babar Awan.
In the plea, Imran Khan said a terrorism case was initially filed against him, however, he added that the charges were later struck down by the high court and the case was transferred. Earlier, an arrest warrant was issued for the former premier in connection with the case.
Imran Khan made some controversial remarks against Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and other officials at a rally on August 20 in Islamabad. The PTI chief had criticised the female judge after she had approved an extension in the physical remand of his close aide Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case.
The PTI chief was booked in a terrorism case on the complaint of Islamabad Sadar Magistrate Ali Javed for threatening the female judge. The terrorism case was registered against Imran Khan in Margalla police station for allegedly using derogatory language and threatening the judge.
