LAHORE: An appellate tribunal comprising a Lahore High Court (LHC) judge on Wednesday allowed ex-prime minister Imran Khan to contest a by-poll from NA-108, Faisalabad, and also dismissed a challenge against acceptance of his nomination papers from NA-118, Nankana Sahib.
The tribunal observed that the scope of the tribunal was limited and the questions raised by the appellant’s counsel could be decided in an election petition after the by-election.
The tribunal judge further observed that nomination papers could not be rejected merely on the basis of incomplete information.
Imran Khan and Bye-elections
Khan had filed appeals against the rejection of his nomination papers by the returning officer (RO) of the NA-108 bye-election while Dr. Shezra Mansab Kharal, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from NA-118, challenged the RO decision of accepting Imran Khan’s nomination papers for the by-poll.
Appellate counsel Barrister Senator Syed Ali Zafar said that the RO rejected the papers of the appellant against the law and ignored the facts. He submitted that Imran Khan’s nomination papers for the by-election in other constituencies had been accepted.
He requested to set aside the RO’s decision and allow him to contest the by-election in NA-108.
Imran Khan Toshakhana Case
On the appeal about NA-118, counsel on behalf of the PML-N’s candidate argued that Imran Khan did not disclose, in his nomination papers, the gifts he had received from Toshakhana, which was against the law. He also submitted that Imran Khan also failed to disclose the details of the assets owned by him and his wife.
He also submitted that the nomination papers filed by the PTI chairman were not attested by an oath commissioner, as required by the law. He requested to set aside the RO’s decision and reject the nomination papers of Khan for the NA-118 by-election.
After hearing the arguments, the tribunal judge dismissed the appeal of the PML-N’s candidate and others while allowing the appeal of Khan against the decisions of the ROs.
Anti-Terrorism Case Against Khan
PTI lawyer Babar Awan said that Imran Khan would approach an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in person on August 25th for bail in the terrorism case.
Islamabad Magistrate lodged a first investigation report (FIR) against the PTI chairman at the Margalla police station under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism) regarding his comments at the party’s Islamabad rally on Aug 20.
Lester, Islamabad High Court’s two-member bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Babar Sattar granted him protective bail till Aug 25.
Babar Awan said that Imran had chaired a meeting of the party’s legal team in which it was decided that an application seeking the ex-prime minister’s bail would be filed in an ATC in Islamabad.
Interior Minister Rana Sanullah Khan said that Imran Niazi will have to face the law for threatening and hurling abuses at the Magistrate and Police officers. Such acts of brazen thuggery are responsible for instigating extremism in society. You [IK] are not allowed to challenge the writ of the state by inciting rebellion.
Imran Khan on Shahbaz Gill
PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PTI leadership denounced the Shahbaz Gill statement on Pakistan Army. Imran Khan in various interviews condemned Gill’s attempt to make such a statement about Pakistan Army. The former prime minister, however, said that there is a need to follow the law and he urged authorities to denounce the torture of his Cheif of Staff (COS).
A script was prepared under Imran Khan’s supervision and was propagated by Shahbaz Gill on ARY news, which was complicit in the whole saga, to create rifts between the ranks of the state institution. Gill has been arrested on account of sedition charges according to the law.
