RAWALPINDI           -          Former premier and PTI Chief Imran Khan on Thursday has filed petition with Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench for contempt proceedings against Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The cricketer-turned-politician has filed petition with apex court through his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry while making ECP members Nisar Ahmed, Shah Mehmood, Babar Hassan and Ikram Ullah as respondents.

In the petition, PTI Chief Imran Khan argued that the court had barred the ECP from issuing notice to him but the commissioner had violated the court orders. He appealed the court to initiate contempt proceedings against ECP. It may be noted that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday last issued bailable arrest warrants for former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Fawad Chaudhry in a case pertaining to “contemptuous remarks” against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The commission also directed both PTI leaders to appear before it on March 14. The ECP, in its order, said that Imran Khan was “intentionally” not appearing before the commission and is mocking the law, which is intolerable behaviour. It stated that the former PM neither appeared himself at the last hearing nor did any of his lawyers on his behalf, adding that in such a situation there was no other option but to issue a warrant against him.

The ECP also ordered the PTI chief to deposit a bond of Rs50,000 as a guarantee. The commission also ordered bailable warrants for Fawad Chaudhry. In the decision, the ECP ordered the Inspector General of Islamabad Police to comply with the bailable arrest warrants.