Imran Khan Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) through his senior counsel Dr. Babar Awan filed reply to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the contempt of court case on Monday.
The ECP passed a short order, that it would review the reply on September 27 and then give its judgement.
The ECP was hearing a contempt of court petition against Imran Khan filed by Akbar S. Babar – PTI’s founding member now rebel to its Chairman Imran Khan.
In the petition Akbar S. Babar claims that the PTI chief, in a reply to ECP in another case regarding party funding, used insulting language which was tantamount to the contempt of court. Afterward, Imran Khan’s junior counsel Saqlain Haider had filed an unconditional apology to the ECP.
Later Imran Khan contradicting the apology in a TV interview had said that his counsel tendered an apology in his personal capacity and that he himself had not apologised – it was on the basis of this interview, the ECP was once again moved to proceed against Imran Khan.
But in his latest written reply on Monday, Imran Khan said again claimed that his counsel Saqlain Haider had filed the apology on his behalf and that he had not objected or opposed it so the matter should have been settled.
Earlier in the day, Akbar S. Babar filed another application against Imran Khan, arguing that Imran Khan once again criticised the ECP so another contempt of court proceedings should be launched against him in reply to which ECP directed Imran Khan to submit a reply to the application on September 27.
Imran Khan’s senior counsel Dr. Babar Awan also submitted the order of Islamabad High Court (IHC), suspending the arrest warrants for Imran Khan issued by the ECP. He further argued that the IHC is going to hear a petition on the ECP’s powers in connection with contempt of court hearings.