Islamabad (Web Dek): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued production orders for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan, who is jailed in Adiala jail, in contempt cases fixed for hearing on October 24.
The ECP has issued production orders for the PTI chief in two separate contempt cases for allegedly using "intemperate, unparliamentary language" and making "contemptuous remarks" against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and the ECP.
The ECP's order of October 11 was released to the media on October 20. It states that “Production orders of the respondent [Imran Khan] are hereby issued under Section 10 of the Elections Act, 2017, read with Rule 4 of the Elections Rules, 2017, and further read with relevant provisions of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003."
“Under this production order, the respondent shall be produced only before the ECP on 24.10.2023 at 10:00 am, and after the culmination of proceedings, [he] shall be returned to jail forthwith," it said.
A written order also said “it is matter of record that the matter was pending adjudication since August 2022 and has to be decided without any further delay. Since the respondent is in jail and his personal appearance is mandatory to proceed further with the matter. In such view of the matter, there is no alternate except to issue production order of respondent namely Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi”.
The ECP directed the superintendent of Adiala Jail to make all necessary arrangements for presenting Imran before the ECP, and ordered that “The Inspector General Police, Islamabad, and Inspector General Police, Punjab shall ensure foolproof security arrangements for the production of [the] respondent.”
The electoral body issued the production order after Imran’s counsel, Shoaib Shaheen, appeared on October 11 before a four-member bench of the ECP, headed by Member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani, where Advocate Shoaib stated that the contempt case that the PTI chief was confined in Adiala jail and could attend the ECP proceedings only if his production orders were issued.
The ECP on Thursday released the cause list for the next week, stating that it has also admitted a petition seeking the removal of the former prime minister as the head of his PTI party. A five-member ECP bench will hear the petition on October 26, Thursday. ECP has issued notices in this regard to both the former premier and the complainant, Khalid Mahmood.