 Chairman Imran khan Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry issued by the (ECP)){kind=link}
RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) suspended the arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Secretary General Asad Umar, and Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for skipping contempt proceedings.
For failing to appear before the commission in contempt proceedings, the election watchdog issued arrest warrants for the PTI leaders last week that might be released on bond.
The ECP denied the requests for absence waivers, and all three parties were required to post bonds totaling Rs50,000 apiece. The PTI, however, has petitioned the court to overturn the arrest orders.
On Monday, the case was heard by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan at the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench.
Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry were represented in court by attorney Faisal Chaudhry.
The PTI attorney argued during the hearing that as the ECP was not a constitutional court, it had no authority to issue arrest warrants. He assured the court and stated that his clients had been and will continue to appear before the ECP during its proceedings.
The arrest orders for Imran and Fawad Chaudhry in the ECP contempt case were subsequently suspended by the court.
The judge did permit the ECP to pursue its contempt case against the PTI leaders, though.
The judge stated at the hearing that “PTI seeks redress from the judiciary yet targets them in the media.”
It stated that criticising the judiciary in the media constituted contempt of court and issued a warning that contempt of court proceedings would be initiated if Fawad Chaudhry continued to criticise the courts in the media.
“PTI leader appeals arrest warrants and accuses ECP of contempt in High court”
Justice Khan advised the PTI leader’s attorney that the court was providing him with relief this time. He warned that his client should not place the blame for the situation on the court. Justice Khan said “Enough is enough, the court will no longer exercise restraint.”
Justice Khan said, “Enough is enough, the court will no longer exercise restraint.”
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry to appeal warrants in the high court and accuse ECP of contempt. Following ECP’s ruling last week.
Fawad stated that “ECP’s action to issue arrest warrants is in violation of the high court’s ruling.” He said that the verdict was revealed today (January 16), even though the case was supposed to be heard on January 17.
The PTI leader claimed that the ECP’s judgement was “biassed.”
The PTI president and other two senior party leaders had been called in for a hearing by the electoral watchdog. This is as part of ongoing contempt proceedings against them. They were targeted for frequently making statements critical of the electoral body and its chief election commissioner.
Imran and the leaders of his party, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were the targets of the ECP’s contempt proceedings because they frequently made statements critical of the electoral body and its chief election commissioner.
PTI filed petition with Supreme Court challenging ECP’s authority. Claiming Article 204 grants contempt of court authority only to higher courts and ECP is not a court. Court had given ECP permission to pursue contempt proceedings in December.
Court gave ECP permission to pursue contempt proceedings against former premier and party officials in December of last year. PTI filed a petition challenging ECP’s authority. Claiming only higher courts have contempt of court authority and ECP is not a court.