The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Wednesday to put former PTI leader Imran Khan and former federal minister Fawad Chaudry in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on charges of contempt of court.
The court case will start on December 13. The Ministry of Interior asked the electoral body to hold the trial at Rawalpindi Central Jail, where both leaders are currently being held because of safety fears.
The ECP has asked the Ministry of the Interior to make the necessary plans and let them know within two days.
Because of “security concerns,” the PTI chief’s trial in the Toshakhana, cypher, and £190 million settlement case is already taking place in Adiala jail.
Last year, the election body charged Imran, Fawad, and former PTI leader Asad Umar with contempt for the language they used against the chief election commissioner and the ECP. They were arrested and could not get bail through the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Fawad did apologise to the election watchdog in a July 20, 2021, media interview. He said he had “no personal issues with the CEC or the ECP” and that he was “the party spokesman at the time and all statements were in line with party policy.”
He told the ECP that he was following the PTI’s rules and asked them to “let the matter go” after he apologised orally.
The leader told the ECP he was sorry for what he said, but the CEC said he had “insulted the ECP.” The leader of your party used rude words to describe my wife.
However, the ECP told the former minister to write an explanation and then put off the hearing until August 1.
On November 23, Fawad bowed to the ECP and asked them to drop the contempt case against him.
The lawmakers, on the other hand, fought back against the ECP notices, saying that Section 10 of the Election Act 2017 was against the Constitution of Pakistan. Instead of going to the ECP, they had also asked the high courts to stop contempt actions against them.
