ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s petition against the institution’s jurisdiction to hear contempt proceedings. The verdict on the case will be announced on August 10, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Sardar Raza Khan announced on Tuesday. Only high courts and the Supreme Court can take up proceedings for contempt as per the constitution, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awan reasoned with the five-member bench during the proceedings. He said a legal framework needs to be put in place in order for the ECP to take up contempt proceedings, as the 1976 Contempt of Court law ceases to exist. The ECP had issued the contempt notice to Khan on January 24 over his ‘scandalous remarks’ about the commission. The petitioner, who had also filed the foreign funding case against the PTI leadership, had informed the ECP that the PTI chief had accused the commission of being biased in the foreign funding case.
Published in Daily Times, July 26th , 2017.
