ISLAMABAD: The poll body has issued non-bailable arrest warrant for former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry over his failure to appear in person before the related bench in the contempt proceedings.

In the hearing of the case, Islamabad Police officials informed the bench on Thursday that they visited Chaudhry’s residence located in the federal capital for the compliance of arrest warrant issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) earlier.

However, Chaudhry was not found at his residence and his brother Faisal Chaudhry informed that he (Fawad) was facing different cases, and he was presently at an unknown location, according to the police officials.

“I have no contact with him,” the police officials quoted Faisal Chaudhry as saying about his brother.

The defence lawyer requested the ECP bench to adjourn the case keeping in view that a related case was pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC would issue its verdict in the case “in a day or two,” the defence side stated.

However, the bench rejected this request, issued Chaudhry’s non-bailable arrest warrant and adjourned this case till July 20.

On October 26, last year, the ECP amended the election rules to authorise its officers to issue contempt notices to the alleged “contemnors.”

The electoral entity, by amending the rules, also empowered itself to grant bail to persons arrested on the charges of the ECP contempt.

The ECP made these amendments in exercise of its powers under Section 239 of Elections Act 239, according to a notification issued then. The electoral body amended Section 4(6) of the Election Rules 2017.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023