LHC bars ECP from removing Imran Khan as PTI chairman

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from removing Imran Khan as chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.

The development comes a day after the PTI chief moved LHC against the ECP’s proceedings in the Toshakhana reference.

LHC judge Justice Jawad Hassan heard Imran’s plea and barred the commission from removing the ex-premier from his chairmanship.

The PTI chief in his petition argued that the electoral body was exceeding its powers by trying to remove him as the party head, adding that the ECP issued him the notice “illegally”.

Imran Khan pleaded with the court to suspend the ECP notice as well as stop the electoral watchdog from taking further action before the final verdict.

In October, the ECP disqualified Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Toshakhana reference.

Read more: ECP HEARS CONTEMPT CASE AGAINST IMRAN KHAN, OTHER PTI LEADERS

Last month, the ECP initiated proceedings to strip PTI chief Imran Khan of his party’s chairmanship following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.

In the written judgment, the ECP said: “As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.