The Election Commission (ECP) Summons Interior Secretary In PTI Chairman Contempt Case

The Election Commission (ECP) Tuesday summoned the interior secretary on November 13 due to his non-compliance with the order to present Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief to the ECP in a case related to contempt of the commission

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Oct, 2023) The Election Commission (ECP) Tuesday summoned the interior secretary on November 13 due to his non-compliance with the order to present Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief to the ECP in a case related to contempt of the commission.

The commission was hearing a defamation case against the PTI chief, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry.

A four-member commission headed by Nisar Durrani adjourned the hearing till November 13.

Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar appeared before the commission, while Imran Khan was not brought to the election commission from Adiala Jail.

The Interior Ministry has declined to present the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), citing security concerns. Both the ministry and Islamabad police informed the ECP that bringing the former premier could pose security risks. The ministry issued an apology to the ECP.

Counsel for PTI chairman, Shoaib Shaheen appeared before the ECP and conveyed that they could not present his client because the interior secretary had expressed concerns about his safety.

The AIG (Operations) of Punjab Police stated to the ECP that the chairman had personally raised issues about threats to his life.

Nisar Durrani, who leads the bench, questioned the police officer regarding his belief in the credibility of the PTI chief's statements.

The AIG raised concerns about the safety of the PTI chief's journey to the ECP, citing the dense population of Rawalpindi.

He indicated his incapacity to bring the PTI chief before the ECP and recommended that the commission should obtain a written apology directly from the accused.

Earlier, the AIG presented a report to the ECP regarding the PTI chief's appearance.

In the report, the interior ministry proposed that the commission visit Adiala Jail to address the case.

The ECP at the interior secretary's apology pointed out that if the department could not ensure the security of one individual, how could it manage general elections.

The head of the four-member bench questioned, "How can the interior ministry give orders to the ECP?"