SC hears ECP contempt case against Imran Khan, other PTI leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday heard the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petitions over contempt proceedings against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders, 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 seeking to transfer all cases of PTI leaders against its contempt proceedings from different high courts to a single one.

“These cases are under hearing at the Lahore High Court, Sindh High Court and Islamabad High Court,” the ECP said in its petitions.

PTI lawyer argued that all cases could not be clubbed to facilitate the parties.

“The election commission is a constitutional body, how could a stay order be given on its proceedings,” Justice Athar Minallah questioned.

“There is no restraining order over the election commission’s proceedings, the PTI leaders have submitted their replies,” the counsel said.

“The cases under hearing at difference high courts can be clubbed or not,” the chief justice asked.

The election commission sought time for reading court decisions. The court adjourned for a break in the election commission contempt case hearing.

The ECP in its petitions has also peaded to 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.

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 PTI leaders.