Imran tells poll body he's surprised by contempt of court notices

Lahore [Pakistan], May 30 (ANI): In a written reply to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former cricketer Imran Khan has claimed he has never been held in contempt of court in the past . The ECP has set Wednesday May 31 as the next date to review Khan's response to the contempt application and to proceed accordingly. The ECP had summoned Khan several times on an application filed by a former PTI vice president Akbar S Babar insisting that the party had mishandled funds and a contempt notice be issued to Khan, The Express Tribune reported. Khan's lawyer Fawad Chaudhry filed a response to the contempt application, stating that the Review (Contemptuous) Application dated January 9, 2017 stands withdrawn according to the unconditional apology drafted and filed by his lawyer which he has not contested. The review application was filed after the ECP had ordered the PTI on December 1, 2016 to submit its financial accounts for scrutiny. The ECP is also set to hear the foreign funding case against Imran Khan on Tuesday. The money trail has been submitted to a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court which has currently been hearing a petition filed by Hanif Abbasi, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, seeking disqualification of the PTI chief for 'illegal possession' of properties and 'tax theft'. While submitting the money trail, Khan prayed to the court that the petition against him may graciously be dismissed. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has said that the Supreme Court "will do everything" to dig out the truth about the purchase of 300 kanals of land in Bani Gala near Islamabad, owned by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. About Bani Gala property's money trail, Khan failed to produce the record of the money utilized to purchase the Bani Gala land and other banking transactions taken place between his ex-wife Jemima Khan's foreign bank account and his agent Rashid Ali Khan. In his 24-page supplementary concise statement, Khan stated ,"Jemima has been requested to send her authorisation to the banks and it will be submitted as soon as it is received."(ANI)