Islamabad
\nThe Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday asked the Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) to carry out its obligation for complying 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 July 11.
\nThe development came hours after the ousted premier, who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote last year, got relief as the Supreme Court restricted the police from arresting Khan till August 9 in the case of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar\u2019s murder in Quetta.
\nIrked by his persistent absence from the hearings, the ECP instructed the Islamabad IG to arrest Imran and present him before the electoral watchdog tomorrow (Tuesday).
\nThe former prime minister was skipping the hearings despite being summoned in a personal capacity time and again.
\n\u2018Imran Khan will appear before ECP bench tomorrow\u2019
\nThe PTI chairman will appear before the four-member ECP bench tomorrow (Tuesday), confirmed his counsel Sher Afzal Khan Marwat.
\nKhan\u2019s counsel made the remarks as the ECP has instructed the Islamabad police chief to arrest the deposed prime minister and present him before the bench tomorrow at 10am. The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued for the PTI chief in a case registered against him for using foul language against the election authority and his chief in public meetings.
\nMoreover, it is pertinent to mention here that the PTI chief had started targeting the ECP and its chief after being disqualified by the electoral watchdog in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) for making \u201cfalse statements and incorrect declaration\u201d.
\nIn August last year, the ECP issued notices to Khan and other leaders of his party for passing inappropriate remarks and levelling allegations against the commission and its members.
\nThe content of the notices stated that Khan used \u201cinsulting and indecent language\u201d against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in his rallies on July 12, 18, 21, 27, August 4 and 8.
\n\u201cYou have used contemptuous remarks and levelled baseless allegations against the CEC,\u201d the notice sent to Khan read.
\nThe commission further stated that these leaders have \u201cwillfully and intentionally scandalised, ridiculed, and maligned the integrity\u201d of the CEC which has brought into disrespect the reputation of Sikander Sultan Raja.
\nThe ECP further accused them of instigating the public against the CEC by using contemptuous language which is an \u201cattempt to prejudice the process of forthcoming election which constitute a clear contempt of the commission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Whatever I said was related to the party\u2019s narrative\u2019
\nOn July 20, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tendered an apology to the ECP in the contempt case filed against him by the electoral watchdog.
\nFawad, after being instructed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), appeared before the ECP with his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, during which he tendered an apology to the commission and pleaded to withdraw the show-cause notice issued to him.
\nHe said whatever he said was related to the party\u2019s narrative while he was its spokesperson.
\n\u201cIt was the party\u2019s position that I described. I respect the institutions including the ECP,\u201d The former information minister.
\nHe further said whatever he said was related to the party\u2019s narrative while he was its spokesperson. \u201cIt was the party\u2019s position that I described. I respect the institutions including the ECP.\u201d
\nFawad was then asked by the CEC if he would kill anyone on the orders of the party chief. Raja also lamented about the ill language spoken against him, his family, and the commission during public gatherings.
\nThe former federal minister was then asked to submit a written apology to the ECP, which it will review later. The hearing was adjourned until August 1.
\nEarlier this week, the IHC, on Fawad\u2019s plea, suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him by the electoral body due to his non-appearance in a hearing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday asked the Islamabad Capital Territory Police (ICT) to carry out its obligation for complying 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 July 11. The development […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":345102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-345120","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n