ECP summons Imran, Umar, Fawad in contempt case

Bench says three PTI leaders will appear in personal capacity on Oct 11

ISLAMABAD:

An Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) bench on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Secretary General Asad Umar, and senior party leader Fawad Chaudhry in a personal capacity on October 11 in a contempt case against them.

During the hearing of the case of contempt of the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SIkandar Sultan Raja, the four-member bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, expressed its annoyance over the absence of the three PTI leaders.

PTI’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry appeared before the ECP bench. He questioned the legality of the three notices issued to the PTI leaders by the ECP. In this regard, he pointed out that a case was pending in the high court and urged the ECP to wait for the decision.

The lawyer told the bench that the next hearing of the case in the high court was scheduled on September 29 and requested that the hearing of the contempt case should be adjourned until the court decision came.

However, the bench told the lawyer whichever date was fixed, Imran Khan would have to appear before the commission. Sitting on the bench, ECP member Shah Muhammad Jatoi said that the high court had stopped the issuance of order, adding that the indictment was not an order.

Also sitting on the bench, ECP member from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan asked the PTI lawyer whether Imran Khan was exempted from law. However, the lawyer stressed that the show-cause notices issued by the ECP were not in accordance with the law.

Lawyer Faisal Chaudhary argued that no-one was above the law but stressed that there was a possibility that the high court might conclude the case on September 29. He stressed that the institution was highly respectable but said that the lack of confidence had increased.

The lawyer sought two weeks' time. He told the ECP that Anwar Mansoor, who was in Karachi, would appear before the ECP on behalf of Imran Khan, and Barrister Gohar, who was in Peshawar, would appear on behalf of Asad Umar.

Later, the ECP summoned Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry in personal capacity on October 11 and adjourned the hearing. There are two cases against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry and one case against Asad Umar.