PTI chief moves court against arrest warrants.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan TehAreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday approached the Islamabad High Court, Rawalpindi bench, challenging the bailable warrants of his arrest issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failure to appear before it in a contempt matter.

The ECP had issued bailable arrest warrants against the PTI chairman and leaders Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry on Jan 3.

Moved through senior counsel Faisal Fareed, the petition urged the high court to set aside ECP's warrants of arrest for being 'illegal, unlawful and devoid of cogent and plausible reasoning', since the arrest warrant had been issued in violation of law and the Constitution.

The ECP had initiated contempt proceedings against the petitioner and others allegedly for using intemperate language and contemptuous remarks against the Chief Election Commission and the commission and issued notice on Sept 13, 2022.

IHC urged to set aside ECP's warrants for being 'illegal'

Subsequently, the petitioner submitted his reply before the ECP raiAsing several objections on the grouAnds that the notices were issued without any legal justification and foundation, the petition contended, adding that the commission however rejected the response and issued show cause notice to Aug 19.

The petitioner challenged both notices before the high court through writ petitions, which restrained the commission from taking any adverse action against him, the petition contended.

The petitioner had also challenged vires of Section-10 of the Election Act 2017, inter-alia on several grounds under which the commission initiates contempt proceedings.

During the pendency of the writ petition, Mr Khan sustained injuries in a failed assassination attempt in Wazirabad on Nov 3, 2022 when he was leading a long march from Lahore to Rawalpindi. The petitioner survived...