Former chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former minister of information Fawad Chaudhry have been indicted in the contempt of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) case in Adiala Jail.
The Election Commission adjourned further hearing of the case till January 16.
During the hearing, the charge sheet was read out to the accused. After the hearing, Election Commission (ECP) members left the Adiala jail.
Earlier, the Lahore High Court rejected the application of former prime minister Imran Khan to stop the jail trial in the contempt of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) case.
The court issued notices to the election commission and others and sought their response.
The ECP’s counsel informed the full bench about the notification regarding the jail trial of Imran Khan and others. He said the Punjab Home Department issued the jail trial notification in the contempt of ECP case on December 8.
The court said Adiala Jail is in Rawalpindi, and it held jurisdiction over Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The court also directed the petitioner's counsel to challenge the jail trial notification.
“I will challenge the notification. You set the application for day after tomorrow,” the counsel said.
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Justice Alia Neelam asked how they could decide on an application like this and asked the lawyer to first file a challenge.
The roster of one bench member is only available today, Justice Neelam remarked.
The counsel said notices were received at Zaman Park when the petitioner was in Lahore. The case for the indictment of the former PTI chairman has been fixed for tomorrow, he said further.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Alia Neelam heard the petition.
On Dec 9, Imran Khan challenged before the LHC the proceedings of the contempt of election commission case and its jail trial.
The petition was submitted by his lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Samir Khosa. The petition made the federal government, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Adiala Jail superintendent parties.
Imran Khan argued that the ECP started proceedings for contempt of the commission illegally, as it did not have the authority to try someone for contempt.
