Presenting Imran Khan in ECP security risk, Interior Ministry tells poll body

• Interior ministry, Islamabad police inform ECP of their stance.
• ECP is all set to indict PTI chief in contempt case on Oct 24.
• Imran, an ex-PM, is currently in Adiala Jail in the cipher case.

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior and the Islamabad police have informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that presenting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan before the body would be a "security risk", sources said Monday.

The election commission had last week issued production orders for jailed Imran in cases of contempt of the commission, with a charge sheet set to be filed against him when produced on October 24 (tomorrow).

The police and relevant authorities were ordered to make necessary arrangements for producing the PTI chief.

The sources told Geo News that the ministry and the capital police have informed the commission about their stance, with just a day left to produce the PTI chief — who is imprisoned in the Adiala Jail in the cipher case.

A four-member bench, headed by ECP Member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani, released two separate but almost identical orders for Imran and Fawad Chaudhary, a former member of the PTI.

Both are set to be indicted on October 24. However, in the case of Fawad, the commission also issued bailable warrants of arrest and directed the relevant IGP to serve them.

At the hearing on October 11, Shoaib Shaheen, who had appeared before a four-member bench of the commission headed by Nisar Durrani, contended that the PTI chairman was in jail, making it impossible for him to attend the proceedings. He had urged for a production order for the PTI chief.

According to the ECP's order, it was a matter of record that, the matter was pending adjudication since August, and has to be decided without any further delay.

"Since the respondent is in Adiala Jail […] and his personal appearance is mandatory to proceed further with the matter. In such view of the matter, there is no alternate except to issue production order of respondent namely Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi," the order read.

The commission said the production order is being issued under Section 10 of Elections Act 2017 read with rule 4 of Elections Rules 2017 and further read with the relevant provision of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003 and under this production order, the respondent shall be produced only before ECP on October 24 at 10 am and after the culmination of proceedings, the respondent shall be returned to jail forthwith.

Through the order, the commission’s bench directed the office to convey the directions to the superintendent, Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, to make all necessary arrangements for the production of the respondent before ECP. The IGP, Islamabad, and IGP, Punjab, were asked to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the production of Imran.