Imran challenges ECP’s arrest warrants in IHC

Petition filed by PTI chief’s counsel Babar Awan requests court to set aside top poll supervisory body’s Oct 12 order


Rizwan Shehzad October 18, 2017
PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday challenged before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) his non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan in a contempt case.

Babar Awan, the PTI chief’s counsel, in his petition prayed the court that the arrest warrants issued on October 12 by the top poll supervisory body against his client “be set aside and proceedings initiated [by the ECP] against the petitioner” may be declared “void, unlawful, without lawful authority, against the Constitution and law on the subject in the interest of justice.”

The contempt application against Imran was filed on January 23 by the PTI’s dissident member Akbar S Babar who had turned against Imran in 2011 over alleged internal corruption and illegal funding of the party.

Double whammy for Imran Khan as both ECP and ATC order his arrest

The ECP’s verdict was announced a day after a three-member larger bench of the IHC directed the commission to proceed on the contempt application according to the law. Imran and Babar are embroiled in a legal battle at the ECP and the IHC for the last three years.

The October 12 order was issued by a five-member bench of the ECP after the PTI leader ignored the polls supervisory body’s August 24 show-cause notice relating to a foreign funding case. Imran earlier ignored half a dozen ECP summons to appear in person.

According to him, it was not within the commission’s jurisdiction to conduct contempt proceedings against a member of the parliament. However, in an expected move on Monday, the party decided that its chief will “voluntarily appear before ECP”.

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