News Analysis |
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition against the institution’s jurisdiction to hear contempt proceedings.After the arguments by Imran Khan’s counsel Babar Awan and Akbar S. Babar’s counsel completed, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan completed the hearing and reserved the verdict which will be announced on 10th August.
Appearing before the five-member bench, Babar Awan said that the ECP is not entitled to initiate contempt proceedings as Contempt of Court Act 1976 is no more effective. He added that hearing contempt cases is within the purview of the Supreme Court and High Court.
PML-N is trying to relate Khan’s case with that of the Sharif family, while PTI is confident enough to survive the storm.
The ECP had issued the contempt notice to Imran Khan on January 24 over his remarks about the commission. The Commission had shown displeasure over Imran’s changing of counsel and attempts to adjourn hearings. ECP had, on 3rd July expressed dismay regarding continued adjournments and also had said that the verdict would be announced on 10th July.In May this year, the ECP had rejected Khan’s response in which he had submitted that the matter of contempt of court is actually a case of misunderstanding.
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The timing of the decision is of interest to analysts, for it is expected that the much-awaited decision on the Panama Case will be announced in the first week of August. PML-N is trying to relate Khan’s case with that of the Sharif family, while PTI is confident enough to survive the storm.
Khan’s aggressive batting
Imran Khan, after presenting documents regarding his sources of earning on Saturday, produced more documents in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. While his counsel presented the documents in the court, Khan took to Twitter to not only show his record but to challenge the premier to come clean. He tweeted: “For those PMLN propagandists, especially but not only in MSR’s media house, my banking money trail’s complete record ready for handing to SC.” He added that the documents included Sussex Cty payments banking trail; bank record of London flat’s payments; Packer payments bank trail; sponsorships earnings money trail. Thereafter he challenged Nawaz Sharif to produce such a document.
For those PMLN propagandists, esp but not only in MSR’s media house, my banking money trail’s complete record ready for handing to SC pic.twitter.com/mFzehAJNpb
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 24, 2017
Sussex Cty payments banking trail; bank record of London flat’s payments;K Packer payments bank trail; sponsorships earnings money trail https://t.co/F8N7WyJvTi
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 24, 2017
The three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, adjourned the disqualification case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief till July 31.
Bukhari responded that records have been received from a former accountant.“We will try our best to satisfy the court and will go to London if need be to verify the documents,” said Bukhari.
Bukhari said after receiving the documents from Imran’s former wife, Jemima, the money trail has been completed.During the hearing, the chief justice observed that Bukhari Sb will be given time to verify documents.
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Bukhari informed the bench that he is unsure if certain banks [involved in the transactions] are still operational.The chief justice remarked that if the banks have shut down then where did the counsel acquire the records. Bukhari responded that records have been received from a former accountant.“We will try our best to satisfy the court and will go to London if need be to verify the documents,” said Bukhari.
Earlier Hanif Abbasi had objected to Khan’s money trail. In his 15-page reply, he implored the court to dismiss the money trail since it is unverified and misleading.
As the noose is tightening on the Sharif family, the league is expected to put exceeding pressure on Khan through the cases in the SC and the ECP.
PTI Spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said the case does not stand to logic. He said that there is one way to prove Khan’s fraud by asking ICC to give in writing that he never played cricket.
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Analyses on the issue predict that Khan will come clean out of it as he has more or less furnished the required documents. As the noose is tightening on the Sharif family, the league is expected to put exceeding pressure on Khan through the cases in the SC and the ECP.