ISLAMABAD: On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unanimously decided to disqualify former Prime Minister Imran Khan and determine that the PTI chairman is no longer a member of the National Assembly, resulting in a significant legal win for the ruling coalition.
Imran Khan was found to have produced a fraudulent affidavit and to have engaged in corrupt behaviour, according to the ECP.
The decision was made in the midst of high security in the Red Zone, where at least 1,100 police officers had been stationed there under the supervision of a senior superintendent of police to maintain peace and order. Six deputy superintendents of police and five superintendents of police helped the officer.
Following the conclusion of both parties’ arguments on September 19, the ECP had reserved its decision in the Toshakhana case. The case was heard by a five-member ECP panel under the direction of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.
“Shameful choice,”
Meanwhile, PTI leader Fawad Hussain Chaudhry blasted the ECP after the party chief was disqualified.
The worst, according to Fawad Chaudry, was the Election Commission’s attitude. “We never set any expectations on it.”
“This is a dishonourable choice. They have embarrassed the nation of 210 million people.
Caught in the act
In the meanwhile, Imran Khan has been declared ineligible by the Pakistani Election Commission, according to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.
“He who would circulate false information regarding the purported corruption of his political rivals has been caught in the act.
It is the
In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent the Toshakhana scandal-related disqualification of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to the ECP in accordance with Articles 62A, 63A, and 223 of the Constitution.
Ali Gohar Khan, Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha of the PML-N, and five other individuals submitted the disqualification reference.
The 28-page reference listed 52 presents that Toshakhana, the former prime minister Khan, got while breaking the law and following the norms. Most of the gifts, including several priceless watches, were sold in the market.
The presents’ estimated worth has been determined to be Rs 142,042,100. Between August 2018 and December 2021, the gifts were given.
Ranjha, a PML-N MNA, claims that Khan omitted information from his 2018–2019 statement of assets about the gift of watches from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
According to Ranjha, this concealing of facts is equivalent to lying, which is a felony under Section 137.
Thus, he declared that Khan was no longer Sadiq and Ameen and should be permanently barred from running in elections in accordance with Article 62(1)(f), Article 2, and Article 3 of the Constitution.
According to Ranjha, Article 62(1)(f) is the same legal provision that prevented previous prime minister Nawaz Sharif from running for office and ultimately resulted in his ouster.
