Imran gets until Jan 19 to submit reply on disqualification plea

IHC CJ Farooq hears case regarding non-disclosure of PTI chief’s alleged daughter

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has given time till January 19 to PTI Chairman Imran Khan's lawyer for submitting a reply on the disqualification plea filed against his client on the grounds that the former prime minister did not disclose the details of his alleged daughter Tyrian Jade White in the nomination papers.

Chief Justice Aamir Farooq heard the case.

On behalf of Imran, advocates Salman Akram Raja and Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi submitted a letter of attorney. Raja apprised the court that a decision had already been taken on the case of Tyrian, saying: “I will give a preliminary answer on the issue of admissibility of the application.”

Chief Justice Farooq said, “It is up to you. You can give a preliminary answer and also submit a written answer on the main case.”

The court gave time to Imran’s lawyer to submit a written reply.

Election Commission of Pakistan lawyer Saad Hassan apprised the court that the matter had come to them many times, but the applications kept getting rejected.

CJ Farooq said that the letter of attorney of Imran’s lawyer had arrived, they were giving him time to reply.

The chief justice addressed Raja, saying that Azhar Siddique and Abuzar had also come. “Is there any lawyer left who belongs to Lahore?”

Siddique replied, “The petitioner's lawyer is also from Lahore.”

The court then adjourned the hearing till January 19.

Plea against Imran’s victory withdrawn

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has accepted the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s request for withdrawing its application regarding stopping the notification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s victory.

The ECP held a hearing at the request of PML-N leader Ali Gohar Baloch for stopping the notification of Imran’s victory.

During the hearing, the petitioner stated that he wanted to withdraw his petition.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja remarked that first the petitioner filed a plea and did not appear for three hearings. Now, he has come to withdraw the application.

The ECP accepted the request of the PML-N leader to withdraw his application.

Baloch took the stand in the petition that Imran was found guilty of making false statements and submitting false declarations, on the basis of which he was disqualified from the assembly.

His position was that Imran was not eligible to become a member of the assembly as he had been declared ineligible, so the notification of his success should not be issued.