Pakistan poll body issues notice to Imran over 'contemptuous remarks'

Pakistan's top election body has issued a notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan for using "intemperate and contemptuous remarks" against the poll watchdog in recent political speeches

Pakistan's top election body has issued a notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for using "intemperate and contemptuous remarks" against the poll watchdog in recent political speeches.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday also issued notice against other PTI leaders and former ministers and directed them to appear in person or through counsel before the commission office in Islamabad on August 30, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The poll body accused the former Pakistan prime minister Imran of levelling baseless allegations at the ECP and its chief in his addresses both in the month of July and August, the report said.

Expressing vocal disapproval of the ECP and its chief, Imran and his supporters have has repeatedly demanded Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja resign. They even claimed that PTI won the Punjab by-polls despite the use of state machinery in PML-N's favour.

After a resounding victory in Punjab by polls, former Pakistan PM last month urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to resign, stating that his party won the elections despite the misuse of state machinery.

Pakistan's ruling PML-N party lost provincial government in Punjab province, after a decisive win by Imran Khan's PTI in the byelections to 20 seats. The Khan-led PTI won 15 seats while PM Sharif's PML-N managed to secure just 4 seats.

At a public address following his triumph in the Punjab province, Imran Khan insisted that early general elections still were the only solution to the country's current woes, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The PTI chief said that the CEC tried his best to turn the polls in favour of Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N.

"I am disappointed in the chief election commissioner. How could he let all this happen? He is not competent to run [the Election Commission of Pakistan] and is biased towards a political party. Raja should immediately resign."

Responding to Imran Khan's allegations, the ECP notice reads: "you [Imran] have willfully and intentionally scandalised, ridiculed, and maligned this commission and the members of the commission in order to bring the commission and its members into hatred in eyes of general public, which otherwise is an attempt to prejudice."

According to Dawn, the Pakistan election body found the remarks derogatory and in contempt under its rules and regulation.

It also berated the leaders for instigating the public against the ECP chief by using derogatory language which was an "attempt to prejudice the process of forthcoming election which constitute a clear contempt of the commission.