ECP postpones contempt of court proceedings against Imran till Oct 12

A petition challenging the ECP's jurisdiction in the case has been submitted in the Islamabad High Court by PTI chief

The Election Commission (ECP) of Pakistan has adjourned the proceedings of contempt of court case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan till October 12 since a petition is being heard in the Islamabad High Court.

A hearing of the contempt of court case against Imran took place on Wednesday headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan in which Shahid Naseem Gondal represented Imran and Ahmad Hassan represented Akbar S Babar, a dissident party leader.

Gondal argued that a larger bench of the IHC has adjourned the hearing of the party’s petition against the ECP’s proceedings till October 11.



Babar’s lawyer said he hoped the ECP would issue its orders in the case today.

CEC Justice Khan remarked that the ECP’s jurisdiction had been challenged in the petition filed at IHC.

He added that they were yet to receive a copy of the IHC’s adjournment notice and then adjourned the ECP’s hearing till October 12.

“If the high court does not give a verdict till October 11, then we [ECP] will issue our orders by October 12,” Justice Khan said.

Last week, the IHC suspended bailable arrest warrants issued for Imran’s arrest in the contempt case.



The directives came after the bench noted that Imran had yet to submit a reply to the ECP’s show-cause notice and a previous reply of the PTI leader submitted before the ECP did not carry his signatures.

On August 24, the top poll supervisory body had issued a second show-cause notice to the PTI chief after he failed to respond to an earlier notice regarding the contempt of court proceedings against him for issuing disparaging statements against the ECP.