Pakistan's Election Commission allowed the countrys Election Commission to begin criminal proceedings against Imran Khan and other PTI officials . The court urged the ECPs counsel to investigate the allegations raised by the show-cause notices sent to PTI leaders .
Islamabad, Pakistan (Pakistan), December 8: According to The News International, Pakistan's Supreme Court allowed the country's Election Commission to begin criminal proceedings against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other PTI officials on Tuesday.The Election Commission of Pakistans (ECP) petition requesting the transfer and consolidation of cases brought by the PTI in various high courts challenging its contempt notices was heard by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Athar Minallah.The court explained that the high courts had not barred the ECP from taking legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and other party The court urged the ECPs' counsel to investigate the allegations raised by the show-cause notices sent to PTI leaders.According to the news story, Sajeel Swati, the Election Commission's counsel, suggested that the Lahore High Court had barred the ECP from bringing sanctions against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umer, and other leaders.
The judge grilled the ECP's lawyers on how the proceedings were conducted against contestants in the contempt cases.In response to the judge's query, the counsel said that Section 10 of the Election Act 2017 allowed the ECP to pursue cases in contempt cases.According to The News International article, PTI Chief Imran Khan and other party members, including Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umer, were not participating in the contempt proceedings.The counsel advised the court to direct the respondents to appear before the ECP and also urge the high courts to make their decisions on the claims challenging the contempt notices as soon as possible.Pakistan's Supreme Court has also directed the country's high courts to make a decision on the pending petitions by petitioners challenging the ECP notifications at the very least.