Islamabad, Pakistan

Legal troubles continued to mount for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, on Monday (July 24). Hours after he received some relief and evaded arrest by the country’s top court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ordered Islamabad police to detain the former prime minister and present him before the body by tomorrow.

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Pakistan EC orders Imran Khan’s arrest

The Pakistan EC, on Monday, ordered the Islamabad police to arrest the PTI chief and present him before the country’s top election body till 10:00 am (local time), July 25. This comes after the ECP issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Imran Khan in a case of contempt nearly two weeks ago. 

A non-bailable arrest warrant was also issued against former Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry for the same offence.

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Last year, the ECP initiated contempt proceedings against the PTI chief and former party leaders Chaudhry and Asad Umar for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the electoral watchdog and its head, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

The recent move was made by a four-member ECP bench headed by member Nisar Durrani after Khan and Chaudhry failed to appear before the election body, on July 11, despite several warnings. The commission had asked them to appear in person or through their counsels before it to explain their position on the case. 

The last time the former Pakistan PM was arrested, on May 9, from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, the country faced violent protests which led to thousands of arrests. 

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Ex-Pak PM evades arrest in lawyer’s murder case

The issuance of the arrest warrant by the ECP came hours after Imran Khan’s bail in a case related to the murder of a lawyer in Quetta was extended until August 9. This comes as a three-judge bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court asked Khan to surrender before the court before seeking any interim relief.

The case against Khan was lodged by the deceased lawyer’s stepson.

Abdul Raazaq Shar, a lawyer who had filed a petition against Khan for illegally dissolving Pakistan’s National Assembly, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Balochistan’s Quetta on June 6. 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in a newly propped-up issue dubbed as the ‘Cipher case,’ sent a notice to Khan asking him to appear before the bureau on July 25 in connection with the Cipher probe. 

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