Removal from PTI chairmanship: ECP dismisses case against Imran, reprimands petitioner

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday dismissed a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan seeking his removal from his party’s chairmanship, and strongly reprimanded the petitioner for his “unruly conduct” by expelling him from the courtroom during the hearing.

“Don’t raise your finger, keep your voice down and focus on this case only,” a visibly perturbed Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja directed Afaq Ahmad, the petitioner in the case.

The petitioner alleged that the related notices in the case were dispatched late to the respondents and that he received “wrong” notices due to the “inefficiency” of the ECP’s deputy director (law).

This apparently infuriated the CEC who directed the petitioner “not to deviate from this case”.

“Speak the facts regarding this case only,” the CEC asked the petitioner.

“Okay, I will speak whatever you want me to,” Ahmad replied in a notably bitter tone.

“Who is responsible for the late issuance of notices?” he asked.

The bench directed the ECP security staff to remove the petitioner for his “unruly conduct.” The security personnel complied and forcefully removed Ahmad from the courtroom before the bench dismissed the case.

Earlier, the PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan, through his counsel, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, submitted his response in the same case.

The PTI chief, in his reply, contended that the ECP did not have any authority to remove him from the party chairmanship given that the electoral body was not a court of law.

Khan stated that the ECP removed former PM Nawaz Sharif as President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the light of the Supreme Court’s order in the Panama Papers Case in which Sharif was disqualified from holding any public office under Article 62(1)(f).

According to Khan, no such order was passed against him by any court.

The PTI chairman further stated in his reply that the Lahore High Court (LHC) barred the ECP from issuing any decision against him in this case.

In October last year, the ECP disqualified Khan, in Toshakhana reference, from his parliamentary membership for filing “false” and “incorrect declaration” in his statement of assets and liabilities for the year 2020-21 filed with the electoral entity. The reference against Khan was moved by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders.

In the same month, Khan won seven of the eight by-elections he contested on NA seats.

After the ECP’s decision in the Toshakhana reference, Afaq Ahmad moved the electoral body seeking Khan’s removal as the PTI chief.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023