The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday asked the Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) to carry out its obligation to comply with a non-bailable arrest warrant issued for former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case relating to contempt of the electoral body on May 11, GEO News reported. The ECP, in the warrant, authorised and required the Islamabad Inspector General to arrest Imran and produce him before the commission on July 25 at 10 a.m.
Notably, the ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and others for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and the electoral watchdog.
While passing the order, the commission, on multiple occasions, asked him and his ministers to appear in person or directed his counsels to explain his position. However, instead of following the orders, Khan and his two ministers had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in various high courts on the grounds that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for contempt, was against the Constitution.
"The Election Act 2017, Section 10 titled Power to punish for contempt states that the “election commission may exercise the same power as the high court to punish any person for contempt of court and the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 (V of 2003), or any other law pertaining to contempt of court shall have effect accordingly […]," Dawn quoted the law.
Imran and his ministers did not obey orders multiple times
Also, the reports claimed that the former Prime Minister and his associates had also sought from the high courts a declaratory relief from the charges. However, in January, the apex court had allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against the trio. Later, on June 21, the ECP had decided to frame charges against Imran, Fawad and Umar in July. At the July 11 hearing, none of the three appeared before the commission despite being summoned, following which the ECP had issued arrest warrants for Fawad and Imran.
It had, however, accepted a plea by Umar’s lawyer to allow him an exemption from the hearing. The ECP issued a warrant for Imran’s arrest today, stating that he was “required in the contempt of the commission’s proceedings initiated in terms of Section 10 of the Elections Act, 2017”, according to Dawn.
"Imran had failed to appear before the ECP even after he was served notices and bailable warrants for him were issued on January 16 and March 2. Hence, the commission, in exercise of powers vested in it under Section 4(2) of the Elections Act, 2017 and other enabling provisions of the Act and Rules, has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant“ for Imran," it quoted the latest ECP order.
