In Lahore, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan of the Lahore High Court (LHC) took action on two petitions from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday, directing them to Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti for consideration by a five-member bench handling similar cases.
The PTI had submitted two petitions—one challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify Imran Khan, and the other contesting the directives issued to PTI regarding intra-party elections.
The proceedings occurred in the judge’s chamber, where PTI’s counsel, Syed Ali Zafar, was informed that these petitions would be forwarded to the chief justice.
Petition on Disqualification:
Imran Khan, through his counsel, filed a petition on December 7 in the provincial high court challenging the ECP’s August 8 notification that disqualified him for five years. The disqualification was based on his failure to declare gifts from the Toshakhana in his assets and liabilities statement. Imran argued that recent amendments to the Elections Act 2017 limit the ECP’s authority in deciding the qualification or disqualification of a member based on a court conviction.
In the petition, the PTI chief requested the court to annul the ECP’s notification and sought the suspension of its operation until the final disposal of the petition.
Petition on Intra-Party Elections:
The second petition, filed on December 7 by Imran and General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan, challenges the ECP’s November 23 notification directing PTI to conduct intra-party elections. The petitioners urged the court not only to set aside the ECP’s order but also to validate the PTI’s earlier held party elections on June 10, 2022.
The court was also requested to suspend the operation of the ECP’s order and restrain the ECP from issuing any further adverse orders until the petition is disposed of.
The petition argued that despite numerous political parties registered with the ECP, it has never questioned them about conducting intra-party elections. It asserted that the ECP lacks jurisdiction in this matter and accused the electoral body of singling out the PTI in a discriminatory and illegal manner, treating its intra-party polls as if they were a trial court.
The petition contended that the ECP’s order goes against various articles of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, including Articles 4, 9, 10A, 16, 17, 25, and 26.
Leave a Comment