THE Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday (11) issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former prime minister Imran Khan and former information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry in a case of contempt.
The poll body had initiated the proceedings in 2022 against Khan, chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former party leaders Chaudhry and Asad Umar for allegedly using "intemperate" language against the electoral watchdog and its chief, the chief election commissioner.
The arrest warrant order against Khan and Chaudhry was passed by a four-member ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani after the two PTI leaders failed to appear before it on Tuesday despite several warnings.
Umar was spared after his counsel told the poll body that his client had another case to attend and a medical appointment, requesting an exemption.
The commission accepted the request and asked the lawyer to submit a formal plea while issuing the non-bailable arrest warrants against Khan and Chaudhry and adjourned the hearing till July 25.
The ECP had asked the PTI leaders to appear in person or through their counsels to explain their position but instead, they challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in higher courts.
After lengthy proceedings, the Supreme Court in January allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against Khan, Chaudhry and Umar. Subsequently, the ECP decided to frame charges against them.
Khan, 70, has been facing scores of cases in various courts after he was removed from power in April last year.
Chaudhry, once a diehard supporter of Khan, quit PTI over the May 9 violence carried out by the party supporters.
Violent protests sparked across the country on May 9 after Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
The government later launched a massive crackdown against the PTI leaders and workers and rounded up thousands of people on charges of attacking civil and military installations.
(With PTI inputs)
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