ISLAMABAD: A Islamabad High Court bench on Tuesday suspended the operation of non-bailable warrants issued for the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan.
The bench comprising Justice Amir Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb gave this interim order, restraining the capital city police from arresting Khan till further orders.
The PTI chief through his counsel Babar Awan approached the high court challenging the arrest warrants.
Awan submitted that the ECP had exceeded its authority after issuing the arrest warrants against Khan. The electoral body lacked jurisdiction to hear a contempt of court case, he argued.
He alleged that the PTI chief is being victimized politically for his stance against corruption.
On Oct 12, the country’s top electoral regulatory body had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan over his ‘perpetual absence’ in the contempt of court proceedings against him.
The five-member ECP, bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan, was hearing a petition filed by the PTI dissident – Akbar S. Babar – when it issued non-bailable warrants for Khan.
The commission ordered the police to arrest Khan and present him before the commission on October 26.
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