ECP warrant for Imran’s arrest suspended

IHC directs election commission to submit its reply on November 7

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over a contempt case.

Suspending the warrant, an IHC’s larger bench, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan, issued notices to the ECP and PTI dissident Akbar S Babar, directing them to submit their replies on November 7.

The PTI chairman, through his counsel Babar Awan, had filed a petition in the IHC, requesting the court to set aside the ECP’s order of October 12 and declare the proceedings initiated against Khan as unlawful and unconstitutional.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Awan argued before the bench that Khan had already submitted his reply to the ECP’s show-cause notice and yet it issued non-bailable warrant of arrest. He said apparently the ECP had become a party against the PTI.



 

Justice Farooq noted that the ECP issued non-bailable arrest warrant after the larger bench suspended the previous bailable warrants. He remarked that the high court could suspend proceedings conducted by the ECP because the bench had yet to decide on the issue of ECP’s contempt jurisdiction.

The non-bailable warrant was issued by a five-member ECP bench on October 12 after Khan failed to appear before it personally in response to a show-cause notice issued to him on August 24 for defaming the electoral body in the foreign-funding case.

In the petition, Awan said the case against Khan was of civil contempt but uncalled-for orders were being passed by the ECP. He alleged that Khan was being victimised on the insistence of his political opponents.

He said that Khan was neither required to appear nor summoned on October 12. Currently, he added, Khan faced multiple baseless, politically motivated proceedings at the behest of the ruling party before different fora with “dignity, respect and humbleness”.

Khan had initially approached the IHC challenging the ECP powers to proceed with a contempt case against him. When the ECP issued the arrest warrant, Awan brought it into court’s notice and the court suspended the ECP order. The bench would now take up the case on November 7.