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ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan has challenged the verdict of Election Commission of Pakistan, of disqualifying him for present term in Toshakhana reference. in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Also read: ECP disqualifies Imran Khan in Toshakhana reference

اسد عمر، علی نواز اعوان سمیت تحریک انصاف کے دیگر رہنما اسلام آباد ہائیکورٹ میں موجود، عمران خان کی درخواست پر سماعت آج ہی ہونے کا امکان۔ pic.twitter.com/scemu5krEE

— Khurram Iqbal (@khurram143) October 22, 2022

Barrister Ali Zafar filed the petition in the Islamabad High Court, taking grounds that the ECP had no authority to give verdict about ‘corrupt practice’ and disqualifying Imran Khan. He took prayer that the ECP verdict be overturned. The IHC was requested to conduct the hearing today.

In his petition, Imran Khan prayed to the IHC to:

(a) Declare, find and hold that the Impugned Order dt 21-10-2022 is against the settled principles of law on Art.63 of the Constitution, misconceived and set it aside, inter alia, on the basis of facts and grounds as urged hereinabove,

(b) Declare find and hold that ECP could not have exercised the jurisdiction to decide any questions of corrupt practice or disqualification’ under $137 read with $232 of the Election Act and further read with Rule 137 of Election Rules, 2017,

(c) Declare that the Reference itself is incompetent illegal, unlawful and without lawful authority, mala fide and devoid of force and in the circumstance of the instant case declare it as null and void in the interest of Justice

(d) In the meanwhile, this Court may kindly be pleased to suspend the operation of the impugned Order dated 21-10-2022 and restrain further proceeding by ECP or its behest till final disposal of the titled petition

(e) Any other relief as deemed just and appropriate may also be granted in favor of the Petitioner.

The Assistant Registrar of IHC, Asad Khan, reportedly raised objections on Imran Khan’s petition, saying that the petitioner didn’t go through the bio-metric verification, and that there was no urgency to fix the case for hearing today.

Meanwhile, after reportedly coming to know about the content of detailed verdict of the ECP, Barrister Ali Zafar wrote that the disqualification verdict about Imran Khan was based on total misconceived jurisdiction by ECP, and on NO grounds. It is nothing less than absurd and is entirely contrary to the law and constitution of Pakistan!

Detailed ECP order of #ToshakahnaCase further reveals that disqualification of @ImranKhanPTI is based on total misconceived jurisdiction by ECP & on NO grounds. It is nothing less than absurd and is entirely contrary to the law and constitution of Pakistan!!

— Barrister Syed Ali Zafar (@SyedAliZafar1) October 22, 2022