ISLAMABAD Oct 26 (TNS): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday concluded the contempt cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after he tendered apology to the bench.
A- five member bench of ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan heard the contempt of court case against the PTI chief. During the hearing Imran Khan appeared before the commission.
Imran’s counsel Babar Awan presented arguments and 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.
There were two contempt cases underway against the PTI chief on the petitioner Akbar S Babar’s pleas.
Awan said that the party wants to take back the review request submitted before the ECP on January 9.
The ECP directed PTI Chairman to submit written apology over the controversial remarks he made against the ECP in a letter earlier this year. Imran later 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, which Awan had refused to read aloud in the hearing.
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 for the remarks made in Karachi and clarified his position.
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 at the ECP.
The petitioner against Imran, PTI’s founding member Babar, was also present at the hearing.
“I am happy that the contempt proceedings have now ended. Criticism on Election Commission was not personal. Fair elections are the basic need of democracy. My criticism is only for the sake of the betterment of institutions. We want better functioning of ECP like our neighboring country India where free and fair elections are held,” Khan said in his media talk outside ECP.
He said his criticism was against the election commission and not against any individual.
