LAHORE: Justice Abid Hussain Chattah of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday decided to proceed with two petitions seeking removal of former prime minister Imran Khan from the office of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman following his disqualification in Toshakhana reference.

The judge had reserved his verdict on a point whether the petitions should be referred to a larger bench or heard by the single bench. A bar member Muhammad Afaq had filed the petitions one in person, and the other on behalf of a citizen, Muhammad Junaid.

The lawyer requested Justice Abid not to hear the petitions and refer the same to the chef justice for their disposal by any other judge. The lawyer was of the view that the judge in the past had contested an election on the ticket of PTI.

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The judge had reserved the verdict which he announced later and ordered the office to fix the petitions before his court on May 19. The petitions mainly contended that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified the former prime minister and de-seated him from NA-95, Mianwali on a corruption charge.

It said the office-bearers of a political party must meet the standards provided in Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution as per the provisions of Representation of Peoples Act, 1976, and the Political Parties Order, 2002.

It also referred the case of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif wherein the Supreme Court had restrained him from heading the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) following his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63. The petitions urged the high court to direct the ECP to remove Imran Khan as PTI chairman and issue a direction for the nomination of a new party head.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023