The Supreme Court of Pakistan notified Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other party officials about Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) petitions demanding contempt proceedings.
A three-member bench comprised of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Athar Minallah heard the ECP’s petitions urging the apex court to lift the stay orders issued by high courts against the ECP’s contempt notices to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Fawad Chaudhry.
In its six petitions, the ECP sought the apex court to consolidate all contempt proceedings pending against PTI officials before various high courts.
The commission maintained that it had given contempt letters to Imran Khan and other party leaders, including Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, throughout August and September. Nevertheless, these notifications were challenged in superior courts.
At the beginning of today’s hearing, the supreme court issued letters to PTI officials, including Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Fawad Chaudhry, and scheduled ECP appeals against stay orders imposed by high courts in PTI contempt cases for hearing.
In a series of petitions, the ECP maintained that the decisions of the high court were invalid and unconstitutional since they essentially suspended Section 10 of the Elections Act of 2017 by preventing the ECP from taking “adverse action” against the PTI leader.
The petition said that the PTI chairman had responded to the ECP and acknowledged the institution’s jurisdiction to undertake contempt proceedings.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) denied the ECP’s request to lift the stay order against Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry in the electoral commission contempt case on October 21.
