ECP reserves judgement on jurisdiction in contempt case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved judgement on PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s application questioning its jurisdiction in the contempt case filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar in January this year.

The verdict will be announced on August 10. The five-member bench of the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, heard the case. Babar Awan, a former PPP leader, who had previously defended Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari in corruption cases, countered the arguments made by the petitioner’s lawyer.

He argued that accusing a judge or a court of bias did not necessarily constitute contempt. He said alleging bias was the inherent right of the defendant and that it could not be labeled as ‘contempt’. He contended only the High Court and the Supreme Court could take up proceedings for contempt as per the Constitution. He said a legal framework needed to be put in place in order for the ECP to take up contempt proceedings, as the 1976 Contempt of Court ceased to exist, years ago.

Babar Awan filed the case after instead of complying with ECP orders of December 1, 2016 to produce financial accounts, Imran had accused the ECP of political bias and working in league with the petitioner in the foreign funding case. Akbar S Babar rubbished the 688-page PTI document in three volumes submitted before the apex court out of which 629 pages or 91 percent of the document were excel sheets of individuals listed as donors of PTI in the US. He said the actual evidence of donors was available on the US Department of Justice Website that lists foreign nationals and companies that donated money to PTI illegally.