Police ordered to arrest Imran and present him in ECP
Direction issued after PTI chief failed to appear in ECP in a contempt case
ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan has asked Islamabad police chief to arrest and present PTI chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday in a contempt case.
A four-member ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani had ordered the release of a warrant for Imran’s arrest on July 11 following his failure to appear before the commission.
The ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, party leader Asad Umar and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry last year for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and the electoral watchdog.
The commission had asked them to appear in person or through their counsels before it to explain their position.
However, instead of appearing before the ECP, the three had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in various high courts on the grounds that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for contempt, was against the Constitution.
The Election Act 2017, Section 10 titled “Power to punish for contempt” states that the “election commission may exercise the same power as the high court to punish any person for contempt of court and the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 (V of 2003), or any other law pertaining to contempt of court shall have effect accordingly […]”.
The PTI leaders had also sought from the high courts a declaratory relief from the charges.
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