PTI chief's non-bailable arrest warrant issued in ECP contempt case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and Fawad Chaudhry in case related to the contempt of the electoral body, ARY News reported.

During the hearing today, the PTI chief, Fawad Chaudhry, and Asad Umar did not appear before the body. Assistant lawyer of Asad Umar said, her client is facing cases and is scheduled to visit a doctor today.

“My client had been appearing before the ECP, please grant him today’s exemption from appearance,” she added.

Later, the ECP asked Asad Umar‘s lawyer to submit an exemption plea for her client and adjourned and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the former premier and Fawad Chaudhry over their ‘persistent absence’ in the contempt case.

The order was passed by a four-member ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani.

Read more: PTI submits reply in ECP contempt case

Further hearing into the case has been adjourned until July 25.

Earlier in August 2022, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued notices to former prime minister and PTI chief and others for allegedly using “intemperate” language against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and the electoral watchdog.

Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar and PTI chief repeatedly lambasted the commission and CEC Sikandar Raja and termed electoral body as a “subsidiary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz”.