Contempt of ECP: Imran, Asad, Fawad not charge-sheeted

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday could not charge-sheet PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PTI leaders Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, who were unable to appear before the forum in the contempt of the commission cases.

All the three were supposed to be present before the Election Commission’s four-member bench, as the proceedings were titled: case is fixed to charge sheet and personal appearance.

The ECP bench, headed by ECP Member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani, heard the cases, and the assistant lawyer requested for an adjournment, on which he remarked that if there are security concerns, then he can order a hearing in jail. To this, the Secretary Interior, present on the occasion, said, they had no objection to the hearing in jail, if conducted. Upon this, the ECP member asked whether the law allows this, on which the Secretary Interior took a stand to take the opinion of the Ministry of Law.

On the inquiry from the bench, the lawyer said that Fawad Chaudhry is in Adiala Jail on judicial custody. The Ministry of Interior had called it a security risk to produce PTI chairman before the commission from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi to Islamabad.

PTI senior lawyer Shoaib Shaheen argued before the bench that only once the meeting with the PTI chairman was allowed and added the Election Commission should issue appropriate orders to meet the client. ECP Member Sindh Nisar Durrani said, “We go to Adiala Jail for hearing ourselves, when we go there, you will also get all the facilities there.”

The PTI lawyer also complained, ‘we are not being allowed to hold the rallies and urged for ensuring a level playing field, as we have also informed the Election Commission in writing on this matter’. Later, the ECP bench adjourned the hearing of the case till December 6.