ECP files plea in SC on PTI contempt cases

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday filed a constitutional petition with the Supreme Court to transfer all its contempt cases against PTI leaders from different high courts to a single one.

The commission argued that it had issued contempt notices to PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan as well as other party leaders including Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry in the months of August and September. However, these notices were challenged in high courts.

The ECP noted that under Section 10 of the Election Act, 2017, it had the authority to initiate contempt proceedings being a constitutional body.

The commission further stated that Imran and Fawad had challenged the contempt notices before the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench.

Umar, on the other hand, had challenged it before the Sindh High Court. Another one was challenged before the Islamabad High Court.

On September 7, the LHC’s bench had observed that it would form a larger bench for the cases as they were similar in nature.

The ECP argued that instead of wasting time and unnecessarily burdening the national exchequer, the prudent move was to transfer all these cases to a single high court.

The commission also wrote in its plea that the PTI leaders had not denied their statements against the ECP. It added that the cases did not need any evidence.

“It is humbly submitted that it is in the interest of justice and expeditious disposal that the petitioner [ECP] is not left to defend the petitions before three different Honourable High Courts and said petitions may be transferred and consolidated before one Honourable High Court,” the petition read.

“That simultaneous proceeding of these petitions before three different High Courts is time-consuming endeavour, and the principles of administration of justice would be better served if the matters were transferred to, and consolidated before, one High Court,” it added.

The plea added that it was necessary to point out that the petitions raised pure questions of law, and there were no factual dispute and controversy in them.

“Therefore, the transfer and consolidation before one High Court will not hamper the ability of the petitioners to pursue/prosecute the matter fully as there is no question of any evidence or witnesses being difficult to present owing to any transfer from one territory to another,” the petition read.