IHC to hear Imran Khan’s plea against disqualification on Monday

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear on Monday the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea, challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify him in Toshakhana case, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah will hear Imran Khan’s plea, challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify him in Toshakhana case under Article 63(1)(p).

IHC CJ Athar Minallah will hear the petition with the objections raised by the registrar office.

It is pertinent to mention here that the former prime minister challenged his disqualification in the Toshakhana (gift depository) reference in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Imran’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, filed on his behalf a writ petition in the IHC, praying that the order be declared “against the settled principles of law” on Article 63. The plea further urged the court to declare the ECP’s order “misconceived” and set it aside.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p).

The ECP stated that Khan submitted a false affidavit and was involved in corrupt practices. ECP was ordered to register criminal cases against the PTI chairman.

Hours after the verdict, Imran Khan released his first video message after the ECP’s verdict in the Toshakhana case. The PTI chief said that he will approach the court against his disqualification. “The chief election commissioner (CEC) gave a partial verdict after becoming part of the conspiracy and mafia.”

READ: PROTEST AGAINST ECP: PTI MNA SALEH MUHAMMAD BOOKED IN TERRORISM CASE

“The whole nation takes to the streets to protest against the partial verdict. I told my friends last night that they are going to disqualify me.”

“CEC is working against us for the last 2.5 years. He gave eight partial verdicts against us which were nullified by the court.” Khan also blamed CEC for creating hurdles in elections through electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the nexus of PML-N and PPP.