ECP accepts Imran’s apology, concludes contempt of court cases

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) concluded on Thursday the contempt cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after he submitted an apology before the bench. 

The PTI chairman was accused of issuing contemptuous remarks against the ECP at two separate occasions: in January this year and later in September. 

As the ECP began hearing the contempt case against Imran, the PTI chief appeared before the commission.  

Imran's counsel Babar Awan presented arguments before the five-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan.

Awan requested the bench to conclude the contempt of court cases against Imran Khan as, in respect for institutions, he has presented himself before the ECP. 

The ECP directed the PTI chairman to submit a written apology over the controversial remarks he made against the ECP in January. 

Imran submitted the apology after consultation with his legal team.

The petitioner's counsel, Ahmed Hasan, then read the contents of Imran's contemptuous remarks made in Karachi in September this year, which Awan had refused to read aloud in the hearing as they were "too inappropriate". 

Later, the ECP ruled that it accepts Imran's apology over the contemptuous remarks made in January, for which a show-cause notice had been issued to him.  

However, the bench remarked it does not accept the same apology for Imran's remarks against the ECP in Karachi during a press talk on September 20. 

Later, Imran submitted another apology regretting the remarks made in Karachi. 

He also approached the dais and clarified his position in person, stating that he had made the comments after being informed of warrants issued against him by the ECP. He said further that his critique was not directly against ECP but for the greater reforms of the country's election system.  

Accepting the second apology, the ECP concluded the contempt cases against him. 

Prior to Imran's arrival, PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen also arrived at the ECP headquarters. Party leaders Naeemul Haque and Fawad Chaudhry were also present at the ECP.

The petitioner against Imran, PTI's founding member Babar, was also present at the hearing. 

Warrants issued, suspended  

On October 12, the ECP had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Imran but they were suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday. 

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 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 as well.

ECP's contempt notice

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

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. 

Babar had submitted in September another contempt notice against Imran for casting the ECP in a negative light during a press talk in September in Karachi.