ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday said it will have “no other choice” than to indict former prime minister Imran Khan, and his aides Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry if they failed to appear in a contempt case.
A four-member bench headed by Nisar Ahmed Durrani, ECP member from Sindh, conducted a hearing on the case filed against Khan and several leaders of his party, while Barrister Anwar Mansoor Khan appeared on the behalf of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
During the hearing, Barrister Khan contended the notices were served by the ECP secretary and not by the tribunal itself.
“The show-cause notice is illegal until this issue is solved. The show-cause notice has the signature of the director general of law,” he said.
At this, the bench denied the claim and said it was in fact the commission that issued the notices, and not the secretary, who it said has “just informed” about the notices.
However, the counsel for PTI urged the ECP to issue its charge sheet after October 31 as the Lahore High Court (LHC) was hearing a similar case on the said date.
He said that Umar has received threats last night and there is no security for him.
At this, Durrani said that they would have no other choice but to issue the charge sheet after November 10.
