Removal from PTI chairmanship: Imran Khan moves to SC against IHC decision

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf founder Imran Khan has moved to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Islamabad High Court regarding his removal from the chairmanship of the party, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

PTI founder Imran Khan filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Saturday praying to the court to annul the Dec 6, 2023 decision of the Islamabad High Court.

The petition requested the Supreme Court that if the IHC decision could not be annulled then the apex court should refer the case to the Lahore High Court.

The petitioner took the position that he had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decisions to remove him from the chairmanship of the PTI and National Assembly seat. Since the case was sub judice in the LHC, another application was filed in the Islamabad High Court.

The petitioner went on to say that later, the IHC was approached to withdraw the case. But the IHC rejected the petitioner’s request for withdrawal.

The petition stated that a court could never insist that the petitioner could not withdraw his petition.

The petition made the ECP, National Assembly speaker and others respondents in the case.

On Dec 6, the Islamabad High Court upheld former prime minister and PTI ex-chairman Imran Khan’s disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Toshakhana case, disposing of his plea to suspend his sentence in the case.

The court also rejected Imran Khan’s plea to withdraw his application challenging his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.

On October 21, 2022, the electoral watchdog, in a consensus verdict, had disqualified the former prime minister under Article 63(1)(p) and ruled that the PTI founder was no more a member of the National Assembly. He was disqualified for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.

The ECP had stated that Imran submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices under Article 63(1)(p). The decision was taken unanimously by the electoral authority’s five-member bench.

The deposed prime minister challenged his disqualification in the IHC, praying to the court to set aside the judgment as what he said the ECP had no jurisdiction over the matter.

In the meantime, a separate petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against Imran’s disqualification. The petition challenged the ECP’s relevant section under which Imran was disqualified.

Initially, the petitioner did not apprise the IHC about his second plea file in the LHC over the same matter. Later, the PTI founder requested the IHC to allow him to withdraw his plea as he reportedly wanted the LHC to proceed with the case.

Reporter Amanat Gishkori