Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has formed a full bench to hear a petition against disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Toshakhana reference.

The LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti will head the bench, comprising Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh and Justice Sajid Mahmood. The petition was filed by a citizen, Jabir Ali, through his lawyer Azhar Siddique against the verdict of the Elections Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana reference. In October this year, the top election body disqualified the PTI chief for not disclosing the gifts he obtained from the Toshakhana. In its detailed verdict, the ECP stated that Imran Khan deliberately submitted the wrong returns to the ECP, adding that the former PM did not disclose the gifts received in the returns. “The bank’s record of gifts presented by Imran Khan does not correspond to the value of the gifts,” it added. Meanwhile, the LHC Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of a petition filed by a citizen against the closure of roads and shutting down of educational institutions due to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s sit-ins in Rawalpindi till December 5. Commissioner Rawalpindi, Deputy Commissioner, CPO, CTO, DIG Motorway, a representative of the Ministry of Communication and a section officer from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) appeared in the Court.

During the hearing, an enclosed report regarding the protest of PTI was submitted to the Court by the Director General (DG) IB. The LHC Justice Waqas Rauf Mirza, while hearing the case, asked the IB representative to take a reply from DGIB on whether the enclosed report can be de-sealed. The judge directed the concerned official to provide the enclosed report to the petitioner. The Ministry of Communications, Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi, Additional Secretary Home and RPO Rawalpindi also submitted reports to the court. On Wednesday, the petitioner’s lawyer also argued before the court that PTI was yet again staging a protest on November 26 while the district administration could shut down the educational institutions. The judge remarked that whatever situation arises, the court will deal with it according to the law. Earlier, a citizen, Raja Khalid Mehmood, had filed a petition in the LHC Rawalpindi bench on November 10, stating that the district administration had closed the educational institutions and roads due to protests from a political party in the first week of November.