Toshakhana case: ECP disqualifies Imran Khan for five years

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman is no more a member National Assembly (NA).

Imran Khan has been disqualified for five years under Article 63(i)(iii) for submitting a false statement in the case. 

As per the consensus verdict, the cricketer-turned politician will no longer be able to retain any of his seats including NA-95 Mianwali as he has been disqualified from political office over misleading officials about gifts he received from foreign leaders while in power.

A four-member bench of the electoral watchdog announced its verdict in the Toshakhana reference. 

The decision is another twist in political wrangling that began even before Khan's April ouster.

In the meantime, Faisal Chaudhry, a lawyer in Khan's team, said the Election Commission tribunal had no jurisdiction in the matter, and said a challenge would be lodged in the high court.

"The election commission doesn't have a legal authority to give a ruling in such cases," he said.

After the tribunal's ruling, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry called for supporters to come out on the streets to "topple this parliament".

Before the announced verdict, at least 1,100 police officials were deployed in the Red Zone under the command of a senior superintendent of police to control the law and order situation in the area. 

The police officials have vowed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers will not be allowed to come near the Election Commission, nor will any unauthorized person be allowed to enter its office.

Earlier, the ECP ordered all the relevant parties or their counsels to appear before the electoral watchdog at its secretariat in Islamabad, a notice issued today said. The electoral watchdog had reserved its verdict in the case on September 19.

The coalition government had filed a reference against the PTI chairman for “not sharing details” of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their alleged sale.

Four parliamentarians Barrister Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha carrying signatures of lawmakers Agha Hassan Baloch, Salahudeen Ayubi, Ali Gohar Khan, Syed Rafiullah Agha, and Saad Waseem Sheikh -- who belong to the Pakistan Democratic Movement -- had filed a reference for the PTI chief’s disqualification from public office under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution over his hesitance to share the details of Toshakhana gifts.

In their disqualification reference, MNAs from the ruling alliance included documentary evidence to corroborate their claims against the ex-premier

They submitted the reference to the National Assembly speaker who subsequently forwarded it to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja for further action. 

In its hearing on Aug 29, the ECP had sought a written reply from Imran by Sep 8. In his reply, the PTI chief admitted to having sold at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister of Pakistan.

The former prime minister, in his reply, maintained that the sale of the gifts that he had procured from the state treasury after paying Rs21.56 million fetched about Rs58m.

One of the gifts included a graff wristwatch, a pair of cuff links, an expensive pen, and a ring while the other three gifts included four Rolex watches.