Contempt case: ECP orders police to arrest, produce Imran Khan on Sept 25

 ISLAMABAD: After issuing his arrest warrant a day earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday directed Islamabad police to arrest and produce the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan before the commission on September 25.

The directives were given in a letter sent to Islamabad’s senior superintendent of police after Imran’s continued absence from the ECP with regards to a contempt case against him.

The ECP issued a bailable warrant for the arrest of the PTI chief, signed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza Khan and four ECP members, in which it is mentioned that Imran may be released if he submits bail of Rs 100,000 along with two sureties and announces that he will attend the ECP hearings.

The commission also issued a notice to the advocate general, Islamabad, telling him that contempt proceeding in the contempt case against Imran Khan had been initiated and fixed for hearing on September 25 at the Election Commission Secretariat at 10:00am.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in contempt of court case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP had issued the contempt notice to Imran Khan on January 24 over his remarks about the commission on the petitions filed by former PTI member Akbar S Babar seeking Imran Khan’s disqualification.

Last month, the ECP issued a second show cause notice to Imran Khan after he failed to reply to the earlier notice regarding the contempt of court proceedings against him.

Challenging the commission’s authority to hear the case, Imran Khan also raised objections to the ECP’s jurisdiction to initiate contempt proceedings against him, however, the commission ruled that it was within the ECP’s jurisdiction to take action on contempt of court.