LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday stopped the top electoral body from proceedings to strip him Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) chairmanship.
LHC Justice Jawad Hassan issued the orders while accepting a petition filed by Imran Khan against the ECP notice issued to bar him from heading the party. The high court also issued notices to the attorney general of Pakistan and the Elections Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
During the hearing, Khan’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar contended that the ECP did not have the authority to strip someone from his party’s chairmanship.
The LHC has adjourned the hearing for Jan 11.
A day earlier, the defiant politician moved the court as the top election body initiated the process to remove him as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman after his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.
The PTI chief, in his petition, questioned ECP’s powers to remove him as party chairperson, calling the commission’s notice illegal.
The petition reads that ECP started its ‘illegal’ proceedings against Imran Khan, despite the fact that the PTI leader revealed his full assets before the commission. Therefore, he prayed before the court to revoke the ECP notice as well as stop the electoral watchdog from taking further action before the final verdict.
It further mentioned that the ECP move aimed to keep the populist leader away from politics.
Last October, ECP disqualified the PTI chief in the Toshakhana reference for making ‘false statements and an incorrect declaration’.
The PTI chief, in his petition, questioned ECP’s powers to remove him as party chairperson, calling the commission’s notice illegal.
The petition reads that ECP started its ‘illegal’ proceedings against Imran Khan, despite the fact that the PTI leader revealed his full assets before the commission. Therefore, he prayed before the court to revoke the ECP notice as well as stop the electoral watchdog from taking further action before the final verdict.
It further mentioned that the ECP move aimed to keep the populist leader away from politics.
Last October, ECP disqualified the PTI chief in the Toshakhana reference for making ‘false statements and an incorrect declaration’.