ECP Issues Arrest Warrant For Imran Khan, Others In Contempt Case

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ECP issues arrest warrant for Imran Khan, others in contempt case

The Election body has passed the orders, with directions to the PTI leaders to submit Rs50,000 as surety bond each to secure bail in the case.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/ Pakistan Point News-Jan 10th, 2023) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday turned down the exemption pleas of Imran Khan and other PTI leaders and issued bailable arrest warrants for them in a contempt case.

The ECP four-member bench passed the orders while hearing the contempt case.

Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar and others are among those whose arrest warrants were issued.

The Election body directed the former prime minister and PTI bigwigs to sumbit surety bonds of Rs50,000 each to secure bail. The ECP had earlier reserved the verdict in the case.

The Supreme Court (SC) last week had allowed the election watchdog to continue its proceedings against the PTI chief and other party leaders in the contempt case filed against them over controversial remarks against it

A SC three-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the orders. The SC, however, restrained the ECP from issuing a final order.

The ECO had already initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI leaders for allegedly using foul language against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and the ECP. It served several notices on them, asking them to appear in person and explain their point of view. The PTI leaders, however, did not appear before the ECP and later challenged its powers to initiate contempt proceedings under Section 10 of the Election Act 2017 in high courts.

Abdullah Hussain

Abdullah Hussain is a staff member who writes on politics, human rights, social issues and climate change.