Pakistan: Election Commission tribunal adjourns contempt case hearing against Imran Khan, 2 others

The Election Commission tribunal of Pakistan adjourned the hearing of a contempt case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and others until December 6, as they did not appear before it. A four-member panel of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held a hearing on the case, which involves allegations of insulting the ECP chief. The accused individuals, including Imran Khan, former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, and federal ministers Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry, were scheduled to be indicted during Monday’s hearing. However, after hearing the arguments by the lawyers, the ECP tribunal adjourned the hearing till December 6. Khan, the chairman of PTI, was arrested in August this year after a case was filed against the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician for disclosing a secret diplomatic cable (cipher) sent by the country’s embassy in Washington in March last year. Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani was present during the hearing as he was asked to appear before the tribunal after police failed to present Khan before the tribunal at the last hearing on October 24 due to security reasons. When asked about holding the trial in prison, the interior secretary said it was up to the ECP to decide about it as his ministry has no objection to conducting the hearing in the Adiala Jail where Khan has been currently kept. Chaudhry’s lawyer informed the court that his client was also in the Adiala Jail where he was sent after a court order in a separate case. Both Umar and Chaudhry, who had left the PTI party in the wake of the May 9, had earlier apologised to the chief election commissioner and the ECP.