ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will take up for hearing next week a contempt petition filed against Pakistan Muslim League-N lawmaker Danyal Aziz over his allegations that the commission has adopted a soft attitude to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) but is meting out discriminatory treatment to his party.

Mr Aziz’s remarks made in May had led to his grilling by the Supreme Court where he explained that he was referring to the ECP and not the apex court.

Later, a contempt petition was filed against him by Mahmood Ahmad Joya, an active member of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, with the ECP, seeking to declare Mr Aziz as a contemnor and punish him under the law. In June, a reply to the contempt notice was rejected by the ECP as unauthentic and, on his plea that he had plans to travel abroad, the case had been adjourned till July 17.

The petition says Mr Aziz, a member of the National Assembly, is notorious for his disrespectful behaviour.

It says the allegations of the PML-N being discriminated against were levelled by Mr Aziz outside the Supreme Court after he attended a hearing of the disqualification case against PTI chief Imran Khan filed by Muhammad Hanif Abbasi.

The petition says the chief justice took notice of the remarks and summoned the lawmaker to the rostrum of courtroom No. 1. When the CJ asked him about the comments, Mr Aziz said he was referring to the ECP and not the Supreme Court.

“The contemnor acting with malafide intention, in a highly disrespectful manner, accused this commission of extending discriminatory treatment to his party and also gave impression that this commission is favouring his political opponents, and by doing so, scandalised this august commission and also brought it into hatred and ridicule”, the petition reads.

It says the statement tends to bring the authority of the ECP into disrespect and ridicule.

“By virtue of section 103 of ROPA, the ECP has the power as of the High Court to punish any person for his contempt. Furthermore, by virtue of article 204 of the constitution, a court can punish any person for contempt and the word court as defined includes the high court,” the petition says.

It requests the ECP to summon Mr Aziz to explain why he should not be proceeded against and face the penal consequences under the law.

The ECP will also hear a petition seeking recounting of votes cast during the recent by-election in PS-114 (Karachi) on July 17.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2017