Pak SC permits Election Commission to continue contempt proceedings against Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 3 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to continue its proceedings against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, in cases related to the contempt of the electoral body, Dawn reported.

The three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Ayesha A Mali issued the orders.

According to Dawn, the seven-page document issued today said that the proceedings initiated by the ECP under Section 10 of the Election Act, 2017, against the respondents “have been allowed to continue.”

“But ECP has been hereby restrained from passing final orders under the said section,” according to Dawn. The order stated that the high courts had not stopped the commission from proceeding in the matter initiated by it and the respondents had raised objections regarding the “alleged incompetence” of the officer who issued the show cause notices.

“As these objections have been raised in the pending proceedings under section 10 before the ECP, the same are required to be considered and decided by it before passing any final order,” Dawn quoted the court order as saying.

“We hold that the petitioner [ECP] may continue its proceedings in accordance with law including, by decisions on the objections raised on behalf of the respondents,” it added.

In August and September, the ECP issued contempt notices exercising its power of contempt against PTI Chief Imran Khan and party leaders Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Mian Shabbir Ismail and Danial Khalid Khokhar for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and ECP, as per the Dawn report.

The ECP had asked PTI leaders to appear in person or through their counsels before the commission to explain their position. The PTI leaders did not appear before ECP and challenged the notices of commission and contempt proceedings in various high courts.

The PTI leaders also sought declaratory relief from the charges from the high courts. In a decision announced on Tuesday, the Supreme Court disposed of the ECP’s decision.

Separately, the Election Commission of Pakistan warned the PTI leaders of issuing their arrest warrants if they did not appear before the commission on January 17 to face the contempt proceedings, according to Dawn A four-member Election Commission bench heard the case on Tuesday.