ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders received a clear warning from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday that if they fail to appear at a subsequent contempt hearing, they could face ex parte proceedings.
The argument against PTI Executive Imran Khan, Secretary General Asad Umar, and Senior VP Fawad Chaudhry is as of now being heard by the ECP.
The electoral body’s bailable arrest warrants for the three leaders were also revoked by the Lahore High Court on Monday.
“Where are Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Fawad Chaudhary?” the Balochistan ECP member inquired. on Tuesday, when the hearing began.
At this point, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry’s assistant informed the ECP panel that the PTI leaders and their attorneys were unable to attend the hearing because they had to go to Peshawar to attend the funeral of former SCBA president Latif Afridi.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa individual from the appointive body expressed that the high court had suspended their capture warrants, however that they were as yet expected to go to the procedures, and that they had additionally not presented an exclusion demand.
According to Nisar Durrani, a member of the ECP in Sindh, the ECP will hold ex parte proceedings and announce the verdict if the PTI leaders fail to attend the subsequent hearing.
The ECP panel postponed the hearing until January 24.
In August of last year, the ECP issued the PTI leaders a notice of contempt for insulting the commission and its head during public meetings, interviews, and press conferences.
The LHC Rawalpindi Bench lifted the bailable arrest warrants for PTI leaders issued by the ECP on Monday, suspending the warrants.
Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan of the LHC suspended the warrants issued by the ECP’s four-member bench last week.
Despite suspending the warrants, the court ordered the ECP to continue its contempt proceedings against the PTI leaders.
Following the ECP’s choice last week, PTI pioneer Fawad Chaudhry reported that he would challenge the warrants in the high court and argue disdain of court against ECP.
During the consultation, the court stated, “PTI looks for alleviation from the legal executive but targets them in the media.” The court advises PTI against targeting the legal executive.
“Focusing on the legal executive in the media is exploitative. ” If Fawad Chaudhry targets the courts once more in the media, contempt of court proceedings will be initiated, the court was warned.
Justice Khan observed that Fawad attributed corruption to the judiciary during an interview with an international channel. He additionally told the legal counselor for the PTI pioneer that the court was giving him alleviation at this moment, yet that he ought to tell his client not to talk down on the courts.
“Enough is enough, the court will no longer show restraint,” Justice Khan said.
