The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for his failure to appear before the electoral watchdog.
A non-bailable arrest warrant has already been issued against Khan on May 11, in connection with a contempt case related to the election body.
This development transpired shortly after the former Prime Minister, who was ousted through a parliamentary vote last year, received some respite from the Supreme Court.
The apex court ordered that Imran Khan should not be arrested until August 9 in a separate case pertaining to the murder of senior lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Khan’s persistent absence from the hearings, the ECP directed the Islamabad Inspector General to arrest the PTI Chairman and produce him before the electoral watchdog on Tuesday.
Imran Khan has been repeatedly summoned to appear in a personal capacity before the ECP, but he had been skipping these hearings.
The ECP initiated contempt proceedings last year against PTI leaders, including Imran Khan and former Secretary General Asad Umar, over allegations of using derogatory language against the Chief Election Commissioner.
Despite several notices being served to them, the leaders had failed to present themselves and explain their point of view.
In contrast, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry recently opted for a different approach when faced with a contempt case filed against him by the electoral watchdog.
He appeared before the ECP, accompanied by his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, and tendered an apology as instructed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Fawad stated that whatever he had said was aligned with the party’s narrative during his tenure as its spokesperson. He expressed respect for institutions, including the ECP.
During the hearing, the Chief Election Commissioner questioned Fawad Chaudhry if he would be willing to take any extreme action on the orders of the party chief. The CEC also expressed dismay over the use of offensive language targeting him, his family, and the commission during public gatherings.
The ECP requested Fawad Chaudhry to submit a written apology, which will be reviewed at a later date. The hearing was adjourned until August 1.
Earlier this week, the IHC had suspended a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against Fawad Chaudhry by the electoral body due to his non-appearance in a hearing.
