Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is set to be indicted by the country’s election commission for allegedly using abusive language against the electoral body and its chief.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will resume the indictment proceedings against Khan on November 23. He was not produced in the previous hearing from Adiala Jail due to security concerns.

Khan is accused of contempt of court for his remarks against the ECP and its head, Sikandar Sultan Raja.

He had challenged the ECP’s authority to initiate contempt proceedings against him and two other PTI leaders, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, in various high courts. He had also sought a declaration that the ECP’s power to punish for contempt, under Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, was unconstitutional.

However, in January, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had upheld the ECP’s power to punish for contempt and allowed it to continue the proceedings against the three PTI leaders. On June 21, the ECP had decided to frame charges against them.

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Umar had requested an adjournment of the previous hearing. Chaudhry had also failed to appear before the ECP due to his arrest in a separate case.

The ECP has the power to sentence anyone found guilty of contempt to a maximum of six months in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 rupees or both.