“Imran Khan’s Controversial Promise Treason Charges Loom for Election Commission Members”
If Imran Khan gets elected again, he has promised to file treasonous charges against the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). When he was being accused of contempt in an Adiala Jail in-camera hearing, he said he would do this.
The former prime minister was charged by the ECP late on Wednesday in connection with the election watchdog’s contempt, following repeated false accusations made by Khan and other party leaders. The allegations against Fawad Chaudhry, who departed from PTI, were also brought against him as a co-accused.
ECP Court
An official who attended the proceeding said Khan was either unaware in the beginning that the ECP court was being held to indict him or he feigned ignorance as he remained quiet at the outset. However, later on, he started daring the members of the ECP who were conducting the court. Nisar Ahmed Durrani, the member from Sindh, presided over the judicial proceedings.
Khan, according to the source, questioned the authority of the members. “Who are you to frame the charges against me,” he said and started hurling threats. “I will invoke article 6 against you,” he said and sat down only to rise again to remind them why they (ECP) didn’t hold elections within 90 days. The members didn’t respond and instead opted to remain silent. One of them, however, said on a lighter note that the PTI chairman was providing material for yet another contempt case.
Imran Khan Cold-Shouldered Fawad Chaudhry
According to the source, Imran Khan cold-shouldered Fawad Chaudhry. Chaudhry is presently in the custody of the NAB Rawalpindi and is taken to Adiala Jail when his presence is required there in the cases he is co-accused with Khan. Fawad, in the past, had also faced a contempt case initiated by the ECP against him and Azam Swati, but later both apologized to the ECP. Their apologies were accepted by the ECP in December 2021.
The present contempt case was initiated after a diatribe by PTI leadership against the ECP and its leadership in October 2022. When the process started, the accused PTI leaders started buying time by securing stays from high courts. The ECP took this matter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan which vacated the stays in January last year and allowed the ECP to proceed against it. The notices were issued and time was sought for replying. In June, the ECP decided to frame charges against them.
Meanwhile, a source privy to the whole scene confirmed to The News that the former PTI chairman was in sheer anger and kept uttering objectionable remarks, particularly against two members of the Election Commission during the hearing of the case by the four-member bench, headed by Member Sindh, Nisar Ahmad Durrani.
“I know you. I recognize you. You are morally corrupt and I have proofs against you,” he was quoted as loudly telling a member while pointing a finger at him. The source claimed Imran appeared so desperate and unhappy, and it sounded as if he wanted the indictment to be deferred again.
Speaking Loudly and at one Stage
He kept on speaking loudly and at one stage targeted all four members of the commission, which had been hearing the case of contempt of the Election Commission and chief election commissioner. He reportedly slammed the Election Commission and its members for the way they were conducting themselves, instead of doing their constitutional duty, and this warranted proceedings against them under Article 6 of the Constitution.
The source claimed the founder chairman of the party threatened to use the high treason case after coming to power against the commission members.
The source said that the ECP members, who appeared in sheer disbelief, remained calm and composed, and did not react to what the former PTI chairman said against them. “There were a reasonable number of eye-witnesses inside the place, where he was being indicted as well as Fawad Chaudhry,” the source claimed.
According to the charge-sheet, read out on the occasion, PTI founder and ex-federal minister Fawad resorted to a planned defamatory campaign in 2022 against the Election Commission and they used biased and derogatory language against the electoral body and its head.
Public Meeting in Bhakkar
Additionally, during a public meeting in Bhakkar on July 12, 2022, the accused used unparliamentary language against the Election Commission. Later, on July 18 and July 27, the accused made up accusations against the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission in public meetings. They said that between August 4 and August 10, 2022, the Election Commission was scandalized.
In public meetings, they both made fun of the constitutional body, and the accused also used improper and unparliamentary language to criticize the Chief Election Commissioner. The indictment states that the accused should go on trial by the Elections Act of 2017 based on the necessary evidence, videos, and documents.
