ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) again deferred on Wednesday the indictment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief till August 22.
A four-member ECP bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, resumed hearing to frame charges against the former prime minister when the PTI lawyer requested the court to adjourn the hearing till September due to summer vacation for courts.
He also informed that court about difficulty he faced while getting the record of the cases, saying he could get the record of only one case due to vacations.
At which, the ECP member asked if they wanted a new date for the case hearing. The PTI lawyer replied that the law must be followed in the contempt case.
Nisar Durrani replied that the ECP had an authority conduct proceedings under Section 10. Will the PTI chief will appear before the ECP in next hearing, he said. It could be hoped, the lawyer said.
Later, the ECP bench announced that the former prime minister will be indicted in the contempt case on August 22 and adjourned the hearing.
The bench was scheduled to frame charges against the PTI chief today (August 2) after it was first put off on July 25.
Last month, the ECP ordered the federal capital police to arrest the PTI chief and present him before the commission in the contempt case, wherein he allegedly used “intemperate” language for the electoral body and the chief election commissioner.
However, the warrants were suspended after the former premier appeared before the election commission.
Last year, the commission had initiated contempt proceedings against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar, the former PTI senior vice president and party secretary general, for repeatedly making statements against the ECP and its chief election commissioner.
