IHC suspends ECP’s arrest warrants for Imran

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Wednesday suspended bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan that were issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on August 24 due to his non-appearance.

An IHC larger bench, headed by Justice Aamer Farooq with Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, as members directed the legal counsel for PTI chairman, Babar Awan, to submit reply to the show causes notices issued to Imran Khan by the ECP by September 25.

The IHC bench came to know that Imran Khan had yet to submit his reply to the show cause notice and his previous reply was not properly signed. In this perspective, the court directed Khan’s counsel to submit a duly signed reply regarding the contempt of court proceedings against him in the ECP. The larger bench was hearing Imran Khan’s petition where he had challenged the powers of ECP to initiate contempt of court proceedings.

Imran Khan’s counsel submitted before the court that his client had already submitted the reply. The IHC bench enquired if the reply was signed. Later, the bench asked the petitioner to submit a properly signed reply.Babar Awan assured the court that his client would re-submit the reply, adding that the PTI had been persecuted as ECP was just a commission and not a court.