Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan was issued a bailable arrest warrant by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) following his failure to show up for the contempt of court proceedings. The ECP had issued the contempt notice to Khan on January 24 over his “scandalous remarks” about the commission. He also accused the body of being biased in a foreign funding case.
The electoral body, in addition to the arrest, also ordered the PTI chairman to submit surety bonds of Rs 100,000 on or before September 25 to avoid arrest. Khan’s counsel Babar Awan argued that the PTI chief was abroad and had returned to the country just an hour ago.
“Imran Khan respects the Election Commission and will appear before the ECP whenever it orders,” Awan said. The ECP, which reserved its judgment in the contempt case, had last month issued a second show cause notice to the PTI chief after he failed to reply to the earlier notice regarding the contempt of court proceedings against him.
Raising objections over the ECP’s jurisdiction to initiate contempt proceedings against him, the PTI chief had initially challenged the maintainability of the contempt petition. The ECP, however, declared on August 10 that it had the legal right to hear the contempt case and had then issued a formal showcause notice to the PTI chairman, asking him to submit a reply by August 23.
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