IHC suspends ECP's non-bailable warrants for Imran's arrest

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended on Tuesday the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Hearing the PTI chief's appeal against the ECP's warrants, a larger bench of the IHC dismissed the warrants and issued notices to the respondents. 

The hearing was then adjourned until November 7. 

The PTI chairman was represented through his counsel Babar Awan. 

On October 12, the ECP issued non-bailable arrest warrants of Imran in relation to a contempt of court case against him.

A five-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan, ordered police to arrest Imran and present him before the commission on October 26.

On October 18, the PTI chairman challenged the non-bailable arrest warrants issued by the ECP in the IHC. 

The petition stated that the ECP has made him a target of political victimisation and exceeded its jurisdiction.

It also stated that the commission has violated his basic rights by issuing the warrants.

PTI chief petitions IHC against ECP's warrants in contempt case

ECP has ordered police to arrest and produce Imran Khan on Oct 26

On September 14, the ECP had issued bailable warrants against Imran to ensure his presence in the case but the IHC, on September 20, suspended the bailable arrest warrants. 

ECP's contempt notice 

The ECP had issued the contempt notice to Khan on January 24 over his “scandalous remarks” about the commission.

Akbar Babar, the petitioner who had filed the foreign funding case against the PTI leadership, had informed the ECP that the PTI chief had accused it of being biased in the foreign funding case following which his counsel tendered an apology with the commission.

Babar is also one of the founding members of the PTI.

Several times since then, Imran has accused the ECP, among other government bodies, of being compromised and working for the benefit of Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister and head of the ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.