The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday hinted at conducting the trial of former prime minister Imran Khan in a contempt case at Adiala Jail, where he is incarcerated, citing a report submitted by the interior ministry.
The development follows Imran’s hearings in the Toshakhana, cipher, and Al-Qadir Trust cases already being conducted at jail premises due to security concerns.
The ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief, former party leader Asad Umar and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry last year for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and the electoral watchdog.
However, instead of appearing before the ECP, the three had challenged the ECP notices and contempt proceedings in various high courts on the grounds that Section 10 of the Elections Act 2017, which is the statutory provision regarding the commission’s power to punish for contempt, was against the Constitution. The PTI leaders had also sought from the high courts a declaratory relief from the charges.
But in January, the Supreme Court allowed the ECP to continue proceedings against Imran, Chaudhry and Umar, and on June 21, the ECP decided to frame charges against the trio, which is yet to be done.
During today’s hearing, ECP member from Sindh Nasir Durrani told Imran’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen that the interior ministry had submitted a report that said that Imran could not be presented and proposed that the commission send a team to jail to indict him.
