In his personal capacity, Shoaib Shaheen urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to drop the contempt case against the deposed prime minister after assuring the ECP that Imran Khan would not attack the watchdog.
On a number of occasions, the PTI chief, who was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April of last year, has been accused of using intemperate and contemptuous language during his media interactions with the Election Commission and its chief election commissioner.
A charge sheet will be filed against Imran on October 24 (today) for contempt of the election commission, the election commission ordered. PTI chief should be produced by the police and relevant authorities.
According to well-placed sources on Monday, the Interior Ministry as well as the Islamabad Police have informed the ECP that Khan’s appearance before the body would constitute a “security risk”.
Currently, the PTI chief is lodged in Adiala jail and is being tried for violating the Official Secrets Act while incarcerated. Because of the threat to the security of the jail’s premises, a special court will conduct the trial within the jail grounds.
The hearing in connection with the contempt cases against the chairman of the PTI has been resumed today by a four-member bench headed by ECP member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani.
Adiala Jail is located in one of the most densely populated areas of Punjab, where there are security concerns and Imran Khan’s life is also in danger, which is part of the reasons why the Additional IG Operations Punjab Dr Asad informed the court at the beginning of today’s hearing.
According to the AIG, due to the current circumstances, it is not possible for the PTI chairman to appear before the commission in view of its current situation.
According to ECP Secretary Umar Hameed, he supported the AIG’s remarks and added: “We have also received a similar letter from the police as well as the interior ministry”.
It was reported in a report issued by the interior ministry that Imran as well as the Rawalpindi jail had been subjected to threat alerts.
Adiala jail should be the venue for the hearing of the ECP bench, according to his suggestion. The official said that the ECP could ask the interior ministry to provide paramilitary forces in order to ensure the security of the body.
The counsel for Imran Ali told the bench that he was appealing for the contempt case against the former prime minister to be dropped and assured the tribunal that his client would not target the electoral watchdog again in the future.
The commission’s chairman responded by asking the lawyer to submit a written apology from his client on behalf of the company in response to the lawyer’s request.
Counsel for Imran informed the court that he would speak with his client about this matter, and he also asked the bench to set a date for the hearing of the case after the upcoming elections would take place.
It is with great discontent that the ECP tribunal has summoned the interior ministry secretary to appear before it and has adjourned the hearing until November 13 in light of the proposal about the case hearing in the Adiala jail.
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