‘IK’s virtual attendance’: ECP seeks explanation from jail authorities

ISLAMABAD: Failing to ensure virtual attendance of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the contempt cases, the poll entity has finally sought an explanation from the Adiala Jail Rawalpindi authorities over non-compliance of its directives on arranging virtual appearance facility for the incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder.

In this context, Faisal Chaudhry, Khan’s counsel, informed an ECP bench during the hearing of contempt cases against the former PM on Tuesday that its directives to the Adiala Jail authorities for arranging virtual appearance facility for Khan—to allow him appear before the bench through a video link—were not implemented by the jail officials.

Nisar Durrani, one of the bench members, inquired from the officials concerned at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over progress on virtual appearance facility for Khan. The officials replied that the jail authorities were not cooperating with them in this regard.

However, the ECP’s counsel said that the jail authorities “might be facing technical issues” in arranging the video link facility. “It is possible that they are facing a genuine problem,” he added.

The bench sought an explanation from the jail authorities over the matter, and adjourned the cases till 15 January.

On 19 September, the ECP decided to seek an explanation from the Adiala Jail officials over non-implementation of its direction on arranging video link facility for the ex-PM.

But there has been no progress in this regard since then.

Before that, on 4 September, the bench inquired from the ECP officials concerned whether it was permissible in the law to allow Khan to virtually appear before the bench through video link in connection with recording of evidence in the contempt cases.

The ECP officials from the Law Wing informed the bench that the superior judiciary allowed Khan to virtually appear in the related cases through video link.

Punjab government’s senior law officials also endorsed the ECP officials on allowing virtual appearance to Khan in the contempt cases.

The bench then directed the jail authorities to arrange video link facility for Khan.

In August 2022, the ECP issued separate contempt notices to Khan, the PTI supremo, as well as Faisal Chaudhry and Asad Umar, the two former PTI leaders, for their public criticism of the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024