Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned hearing till March 29, on a petition seeking disqualification of PTI’s chairman Imran Khan for not disclosing his alleged daughter Tyrian White in his nomination papers.

A larger bench headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case filed by a citizen Muhammad Sajid. At the outset of hearing, Justice Kayani remarked that in Faisal Vawda case the facts were admitted and then the apology was extended. Justice Farooq remarked that the decision related to the disqualification of Khwaja Asif had also been terminated by the top court. Justice Farooq asked what would be the effects if a child was not a dependent. What would be the situation if PTI’s chief didn’t mention his sons’ details, he asked.

The court said that if Imran Khan accepted his alleged daughter then still the petition wouldn’t be approved as per the law. He, however, said that the court would view the legal requirement of the affidavit. The lawyer of the Election Commission of Pakistan said it would take around two days to collect the affidavit of Imran Khan submitted in by-elections to the returning officer. Petitioner’s lawyer Hamid Shah argued that Imran Khan had submitted details about his sons to the ECP in 2018. He had stated that his sons were not his dependents as they were living with their mother. He said that the question was not related to dependency of a kid.

Imran Khan should have come forward by himself when the allegation was leveled against him, Shah said. Imran Khan’s lawyer Salman Akram Raja said that his client had given the details of his sons because they had been as his dependents previously. He said that they were admitting their affidavit as there was no ambiguity in it. The court adjourned hearing of the case after the petitioner’s lawyer concluded his arguments.