ECP to indict PTI chairman, others on July 11 in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday decided to indict former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar in a case related to the contempt of the electoral body, ARY News reported.

In August 2022, the ECP issued notices to Imran Khan and others for allegedly using “intemperate” language against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and the electoral watchdog.

The political leaders repeatedly lambasted the commission and CEC Sikandar Raja and termed electoral body as a “subsidiary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz”.

A four-member commission headed by Sindh member Nisar Durrani announced the reserved verdict on the reservations raised by the PTI.

The Election Commission of Pakistan while rejecting the reservations of PTI said the accused did not appear before the electoral body as usual.

Faisal Chaudhry said his clients did not receive any notice from the ECP for today’s hearing. The Election Commission of Pakistan has adjourned the further hearing into the contempt case until July 11.

Read more: PTI submits reply in ECP contempt case

Earlier, the arrest warrants issued for the former prime minister and Fawad Chaudhry were suspended by the Lahore High Court.

The LHC Rawalpindi bench in its verdict suspended arrest warrants issued for the PTI chief former information minister Fawad Chaudhry in Election Commission of Pakistan contempt case.

The LHC in its verdict asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to determine the ambit of the ECP in the case. The electoral body has also been directed to continue its working as per law.