ISLAMABAD: (HRNW) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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.
In August last year, the ECP had issued a contempt notice to the PTI leaders for insulting the commission and its chief during various public meetings, press conferences and several interviews.
The notice charged that they insulted and passed unparliamentary, intemperate and contemptuous remarks against the electoral body on various occasions.
The bench, while rejecting the PTI leaders’ pleas for exemption, directed them today to appear before it on the next hearing which is scheduled on January 17.
The commission had reserved the verdict on their pleas on January 3.
Soon after the verdict, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry announced that he would challenge the warrants in high court and file a contempt plea against ECP.
“ECP’s decision to issue arrest warrants is contempt of high court’s decision,” said Fawad. He said that the case was scheduled for January 17 and the verdict was announced today in violation of the rules.
The PTI leader said that it was a “biased” decision of the ECP.