ECP contempt case: SC issues notices to Imran Khan, other PTI leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders on Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petitions seeking contempt proceedings, ARY News reported.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Athar Minallah, heard the ECP’s petitions urging the apex court to lift the stay orders issued by high courts against the electoral watchdog’s contempt notices to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry.

The ECP in its six petitions had urged the top 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.

At the outset of the hearing today, the apex court issued notices to PTI leaders including Imran Khan, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, and fixed ECP pleas for hearing against stay orders issued by high courts in PTI contempt cases.

In set of petitions, the ECP argued that the high court orders were illegal and unlawful having effectively suspended Section 10 of the Elections Act, 2017, by restraining the ECP from taking ‘adverse action’ against the PTI leader.

The PTI chairman had submitted his reply to the ECP and admitted the institution’s right to conduct the contempt proceedings, read the petition.

On October 21, the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected the ECP’s plea of dismissing stay order to Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry in election commission contempt case