UPDATE - Pakistan polls body to hold contempt proceedings against former premier

REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, ADDS DEVELOPMENTS REGARDING IMRAN KHAN, ANOTHER CASE

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided Wednesday to hold contempt case proceedings against former Prime Minister Imran Khan in jail.

The ECP said it will conduct the indictment proceedings against Khan and former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Dec. 13.

The decision came after the Interior Ministry decided not to produce Khan before the commission during the last hearing, citing security reasons.

In August last year, the election authorities issued notices to Khan and his close aides for contempt of the ECP after they accused Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and the electoral body of being a subsidiary of the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.

Earlier Wednesday, a Pakistani high court rejected Khan’s request to withdraw his appeal against his disqualification by the election commission last year in a corruption case.

In October last year, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Khan for failing to disclose gifts he received while serving as the country's prime minister.

Later, Khan approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and filed an appeal against the commission’s decision.

In January, however, he asked the IHC to withdraw his appeal, saying he wanted the Lahore High Court to hear the matter.

After 11 months, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq turned down Khan's request.

The former cricket star, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Prison, was arrested in August this year, and many of the cases against him have been tried in prison.

Khan and former Foreign Minister Qureshi were also indicted last month in a state secrets case known as the “cipher case.” Both have pleaded not guilty.

The indictment and proceedings in jail were later declared “illegal” by the IHC.

The case is related to diplomatic communications between Washington and Islamabad which Khan alleges were part of a US conspiracy to topple his government last year.

On Monday, the former premier asked a special court to summon a US embassy representative and a retired army general in the case.

Khan, who served as prime minister of Pakistan from 2018-2022, lost a vote of confidence in parliament in April 2022, one year short of completing his term.