Pakistan Election Commission suspends arrest warrant against Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has suspended the arrest warrant for former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a contempt case. The ECP has issued a written verdict of July 25 hearing, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. In the written order, the electoral watchdog suspended non-bailable arrest warrant for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in the contempt case.

Imran Khan has been summoned in personal capacity before the electoral watchdog on August 2.

Furthermore, the ECP accepted the request of Imran Khan's counsel for the provision of case records, according to ARY News report. The commission directed the concerned wing for providing relevant records to Imran Khan's lawyers and temporarily suspended the non-bailable arrest warrant.

The ECP's decision comes after the electoral watchdog on July 24 issued non-bailable arrest warrant for Imran Khan in contempt case. The non-bailable arrest warrants were issued in the case pertaining to the contempt of ECP. The ECP directed police to arrest and produce former Pakistan PM.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had taken the decision to indict Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar in a case connected to the contempt of the electoral body, according to ARY News report.

In August 2022, the ECP issued notices to PTI chairman Imran Khan and others for allegedly speaking "intemperate" language against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja and the electoral watchdog, ARY News reported.

As per the news report, the political leaders repeatedly criticised the commission and CEC Sikandar Raja. They had even described ECP as a "subsidiary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz."

Separately, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday rejected the pleas of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for transfer of cases from one court to another, Pakistan-based ARY News reported.

The Islamabad High Court rejected Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi's pleas for a transfer of cases registered for the May 9 riots, financial fraud and others to another court, ARY News reported. Imran Khan had requested for transfer of trials of six cases to another court. Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi made a similar request in a financial fraud case.

The Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the reserved verdict on Thursday. He ordered the petitioners to approach the relevant forums for the transfer of trials, ARY News reported. The Islamabad High Court Chief Justice directed petitioners to approach Islamabad chief commission for transferring the cases to another court.