RAWALPINDI – The Lahore High Court has revoked bailable arrest warrants issued against former prime minister Imran Khan, and other PTI leaders by the country’s top electoral watchdog.
Reports in local media suggest that Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan of Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench took up the plea filed by leaders of the former ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf plea against the arrest warrants in the contempt case.
During today’s hearing, Faisal Chaudhry advocate, the younger brother of a senior PTI leader, was presented as counsel of his brother and PTI chief Imran Khan.
The court quashed arrest warrants and ordered the commission to continue with its contempt proceedings against defiant leaders.
The PTI leader’s counsel questioned the Election Commission’s authority to issue arrest warrants, maintaining that is not a constitutional court does not have authority.
Justice Khan then remarked that the court makes decisions on the account of law and justice. Lamenting PTI leader’s behaviour, he said you (PTI leaders) attack judiciary in front of the media, doing contempt of court, and approached the court for relief.
He cautioned if Fawad Chaudhry, a close aide of Imran Khan, continue to hurl accusations at judiciary again in media interactions, then the court would initiate contempt of court proceedings against him.
The former minister had accused the whole judiciary of corruption during an interview with an international news organisation, he remarked, adding that this time the PTI leaders were getting a warning not to repeat it in the future.
Earlier this week, the Election Commission issued bailable arrest warrants against the ousted premier and his close aide Fawad Chaudhry as they failed to appear before the electoral watchdog in a contempt case.
The PTI leader had moved court against the ECP’s warrants, calling them ‘illegal, and unlawful’.
Arrest warrants issued for Imran Khan, other PTI leaders in contempt case
