LAHORE: The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has approached Lahore High Court (LHC) and filed petition, challenging the move by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to strip him of party’s chairmanship following its verdict in Toshakhana reference.
Also read: Imran Khan terms ECP as B team of Federal Government
It may be recalled that the ECP on December 5, 2022 had initiated proceedings to strip PTI chief Imran Khan of his party’s chairmanship following his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference, and scheduled the hearing to remove the former prime minister as the party chief on December 13, 2022.
https://twitter.com/mmnewsdottv/status/1610544389193105408
However, on December 12, the ECP delisted five cases, one of which was the de-seating Imran Khan as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf head.
Also read: SC again allows ECP to continue contempt proceedings against Imran
PTI Chief Imran Khan on Thursday approached the LHC with petition, taking ground that the notice of ECP issued to him from removal as party head was illegal, and that the proceedings initiated on December 7, 2022 were illegal too.
Imran Khan in his petition took the ground that he had declared all of his assets in returns filed with the ECP.
He prayed that on the basis of the above mentioned grounds, the LHC may kindly declare, find and hold that the assumption of jurisdiction and taking of cognizance by ECP for removal of the Petitioner as Chairman/Party Head of PTI and in the subject matter as envisaged by Notice dated 07/12/2022 is illegal, without lawful authority, without jurisdiction, ultra vires the powers of ECP, corum non judice, malafide in fact and law, contrary to the Constitution, void ab initio and of no legal effect and as such set aside the same.
He also prayed the LHC to declare, find and hold that the Notice dated 07/12/2022 is illegal, without lawful authority, without jurisdiction, ultra vires the powers of ECP, malafide in fact and law, contrary to the Constitution, void ab initio and of no legal effect and as such set aside the same inter alia on the basis of grounds as urged herein above, declare find and hold that the finding of ECP against the Petitioner of making false statement and incorrect declaration about his assets and liabilities and the finding of ECP of any disqualification of the Petitioner under the Constitution or the Election Act, 2017, ECP’s order dated 21/10/2022 and any and all actions in pursuance thereof are unlawful, illegal, without lawful authority, without jurisdiction, ultra vires the powers of ECP, corum non judice, per incurium, malafide in fact and law, contrary to the Constitution, void ab initio and of no legal effect and as such set aside the same on the basis of grounds as urged herein above.
