ISLAMABAD, Oct 24 (APP): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday rejected the stay request of PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan against his disqualification by the ECP and instructed him to firstly attach the verified copy of verdict within three days.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition of Imran Khan along with the objections of registrar office.
The registrar office had declared the petition as incomplete and raised several objections against it including lack of biometric verification and missing of verified copy of the verdict of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in toshakhana case.
At the outset of hearing, the chief justice inquired that as why the petitioner was in so haste in this case at the time when he was not attending the Parliament’s sessions.
The court observed that how it could suspend a decision of ECP when the verified copy of the verdict was not before it.
The chief justice further remarked that a proceeding of ECP was conducted under the constitution, adding that Imran Khan could contest the election as there was no restriction on him.
The court noted that the decision attached in the petition had no signature of the concerned authority.
Justice Athar Minallah said that how the decision of ECP could be changed as it was a constitutional institution.
The court subsequently maintained the objection of registrar office and instructed the petitioner to submit a verified copy of the ECP decision.
During hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar argued that the ECP had not issued detailed order so far, adding that they had downloaded the two-page decision from the website of the electoral body.
He said the ECP had disqualified his client and also sent this matter for further trial.
The lawyer said that the decision had been discussed on media and ECP had not issued any objection against it.
He requested the court to seek the decision copy from the ECP.
Ali Zafar said that an application had also been moved to the returning officer seeking to stop his client from contesting elections.
It may be mentioned here that the ECP had disqualified PTI chairman and deposed prime minster Imran Khan under Article 63(1)(p) as it announced its verdict in the Toshakhana (gift depository) reference.
A four-member bench of the ECP declared Imran’s National Assembly seat vacant as it unanimously decided that he had misled officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister.
