Imran Khan's disqualification: LHC CJ asked to form larger bench

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court judge on Friday asked the CJ LHC to constitute a larger bench to hear the plea against the disqualification of former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, ARY News reported.

Judge Sajid Mahmood Sethi heard the plea filed by a citizen of Mianwali, named Jabir Abbas through his counsel Azhar Siddique. The applicant in his plea stated that ECP is not a court and it cannot disqualify lawmakers.

The Election Commission of Pakistan can take action on a declaration after 120 days not later than that, the applicant said. The LHC has been urged to nullify the verdict of Imran Khan’s disqualification in the Toshakhana case as the ECP narrated the constitution ‘wrong’ in its verdict.

The plea further stated that if anything illegal has happened, the matter should be forwarded to the relevant authorities, and ECP cannot disqualify anyone.

After the initial hearing, LHC Judge Sajid Mahmood Sethi asked the chief justice to constitute a larger bench for the hearing of the case.

The ECP declared Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan disqualified in its verdict in the Toshakhana reference, last month.