The Lahore High Court on Saturday fixed a hearing for Imran Khan’s petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s move to remove him as the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case.
A five-member larger bench headed by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will hear the plea on April 12.
The petition, filed through Senator Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, pleads that the cognisance and exercise of jurisdiction by the ECP on the basis of alleged incorrect statement of assets and subsequent disqualification was unlawful and contrary to the Constitution.
The ECP had on Dec 5, 2022 initiated the process to remove Imran as the PTI chairman in light of its verdict in the Toshakhana case. He was disqualified under Article 63(1p) of the Constitution for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”. While the ECP issued the impugned notice to Imran on Dec 7, 2022, the petition argues that the entire scheme of his qualification and disqualification had been “misconstrued” and the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif has been “misapplied” to the detriment of Imran.
