PTI files disqualification plea against Zardari in IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday filed a disqualification plea against former president Asif Ali Zardari in the Islamabad High Court, ARY News reported.

PTI leaders Usman Dar and Khurram Sher Zaman filed the petition, claiming that Zardari concealed assets and is illegally keeping a bulletproof vehicle.

The petition stated that the Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman is ineligible to hold office apart from seeking the court’s ruling to disqualify him from becoming a member of the National Assembly for life.

Zardari, Election Commission of Pakistan and National Assembly Secretary have been named respondents in the case.

A miscellaneous petition has also been submitted in the high court seeking an early hearing of the case.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had returned a petition filed by PTI leaders seeking disqualification of Zardari for concealing his assets.

Raising objections on the petition, the SC registrar had said the petitioners didn’t approach the relevant forum to have their grievance addressed. “The petitioners approached Supreme Court despite presence of the aforesaid forum.”

Earlier, PTI leader Zaman had withdrawn his plea from the election commission, stating he had garnered key evidence against Zaradri which would be furnished before the top court.

The PTI member had moved the petition in the ECP accusing Zardari of concealing his assets. He alleged that the PPP leader owned an apartment in Belaire Condominiums located at 524 East 72nd Street in New York but didn’t disclose it in his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.