Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah Monday said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had not been barred from contesting elections in future following Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) verdict in Toshakhana reference against him
“The former premier won’t face any problems to contest in the NA-45 (Kurram-I) by-election scheduled to be held on Oct 30,” the court observed while hearing Imran’s petition challenging the ECP decision to disqualify him. However, the Court rejected the immediate stay request of PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan against his disqualification by the ECP and instructed him to first attach the verified copy of verdict within three days. The registrar office had declared the petition as incomplete and raised several objections against it including lack of biometric verification and missing of verified copy of the verdict of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in toshakhana case.
At the outset of hearing, the chief justice inquired that as why the petitioner was in so haste in this case at the time when he was not attending the Parliament’s sessions. The court observed that how it could suspend a decision of ECP when the verified copy of the verdict was not before it.
