Alleged harassment of woman RO: PHC issues contempt notice to independent candidate

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued a contempt of court notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidate Ali Zaman Advocate for allegedly harassing a woman returning officer.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Shakeel Ahmed and Justice Arshad Ali was hearing the petition of PTI-backed independent candidate Ali Zaman Advocate, who had challenged the results of PK-73.

However, the bench issued him the contempt of court notice for harassing the woman returning officer inside the court and forcibly taking her thumb and signature during the hearing of the petition filed against the alleged alteration of the results of PK-73.

Issuing the notice, the court adjourned the hearing till today (Thursday), ordering the Election Commission of Pakistan and others to submit their comments in the case.Ali Azim Afridi Advocate appeared for the petitioner. Mohsin Kamran represented the Election Commission of Pakistan.

His lawyer told the bench that his client contested the election for PK-73 as an independent candidate but the final results were changed.However, the court was informed that during the break, Ali Zaman and his colleagues surrounded the women returning officer and used inappropriate words against her while trying to take her signature and thumb impression on a blank piece of paper. The police took her away safely.

The court said that this behavior of the petitioner was a violation of the code of conduct as well as decorum of the court and this action fell under the category of contempt of court. The RO also brought the incident into the notice of the court in writing.

While issuing the contempt of court notice to the petitioner, the bench asked him to clarify his position as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him.The court issued a notice to the petitioner and adjourned the hearing till February 15 today.