PTI leaders have lashed out at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for issuing arrest warrants in a contempt case. They have called the ECP decision a contempt of court.
Earlier in the day, the ECP issued bailable arrest warrants for PTI leaders Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Fawad Chaudhry in a contempt case. The warrants were issued by an ECP’s four-member bench headed by member Nisar Durrani hearing the case.
Reacting to the development, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry announced to challenge the arrest warrants issued for PTI chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders.
In his tweet, Fawad Chaudhry said issuance of arrest warrants is contempt of court. The case was fixed for hearing on January 17, but the hearing was held against rules and regulations today, he added.
الیکشن کمیشن کا قابل ضمانت وارنٹ جاری کرنے کا فیصلہ ہائیکورٹ کے فیصلے کی توہین ہے، کیس کی تاریخ 17 جنوری گھی جس کو رولز کے خلاف آج مقرر کرکے فیصلہ دیا گیا یہ الیکشن کمیشن کے ان بونے ممبران کا ایک اور جانبدار فیصلہ ہے، اس فیصلے کے خلاف ہائیکورٹ میں توھین عدالت کا مقدمہ کریں گے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) January 10, 2023
Similarly, Asad Umar tweeted that the ECP, instead of fulfilling its responsibilities, had indulged in such actions.
“The Election Commission has issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan, me, and Fawad Chaudhry. They are engaged in these tasks instead of conducting their own election. They themselves are guilty of contempt of court by not holding the Islamabad elections,” Asad Umar said.
الیکشن کمیشن نے وارنٹ گرفتاری جاری کر دیئے عمران خان صاحب، میرے اور فواد چوہدری کے. اپنا الیکشن کروانے کا کام کرنے کے بجائے ان کاموں میں لگے ہوئے ہیں. خود یہ توہینِ عدالت کے مرتکب ہیں اسلام آباد الیکشن نہ کروا کر
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) January 10, 2023
Meanwhile, PTI lawyer Babar Awan claimed that the ECP was being used to run a campaign against Imran Khan.
“They are just trying to somehow disqualify him. But let me tell you, this minus-one formula won’t work on Imran Khan,” he told reporters outside a court in Islamabad.
Read more: Imran Khan slams ECP for not holding Islamabad LG polls despite IHC orders
Contempt case against PTI leaders
Pertinent to mention that the ECP had in August and September last year issued notices, in the exercise of its powers of contempt, to Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Mian Shabbir Ismail, and Danial Khalid Khokhar for repeatedly bashing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and the electoral watchdog.
At the previous hearing, the ECP had given the PTI leaders a last chance to appear before the commission, warning that their absence before the commission at the next hearing on January 17 would result in the issuance of arrest warrants.
During the hearing today, the ECP rejected the pleas of PTI leaders seeking an exemption from appearing before the commission and issued arrest warrants for them against surety bonds worth Rs50,000 each.
Read more: ECP takes notice of Imran Khan’s fiery speech targeting CEC