Imran Khan not MNA, ECP cannot issue notice, says lawyer

• Election Fee of Pakistan adjourns listening to until August 22.
• ECP orders petitioners to share copy of reference with PTI lawyer.
• Lawyer says Khan not an MNA; ECP disagrees, says he nonetheless is.

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan shouldn’t be a member of the Nationwide Meeting, due to this fact, the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) can’t ship a discover to him, the previous prime minister’s lawyer mentioned Thursday.

Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Gohar, gave the arguments throughout a listening to of the Toshakhana reference filed towards the PTI chairman, which was heard by a five-member ECP bench.

ECP’s full court docket, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and together with Justice (retd) Nisar Durrani of Sindh, Justice (retd) Ikramullah of KP, Justice (retd) Shah Mohammad Jatoi of Balochistan, and former federal secretary Babar Bharwana, heard the  case.

The listening to came about after the ECP despatched a discover to Khan on the reference filed for his disqualification by Ali Gohar Khan, Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha of the PML-N, and 5 others underneath Article 63.

Gohar, who’s the subordinate of Barrister Ali Zafar, advised the ECP that the PTI needs to see the reference filed by the petitioners — PML-N chief Mohsin Ranjha and others.

“Neither is Imran Khan a member of the Nationwide Meeting nor can [the election commission], ship him a discover,” the lawyer advised the bench.

At this, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja mentioned that within the eyes of the election fee, the PTI chairman continues to be an MNA.

“Present us, which resignation did the deputy speaker ship us?” the CEC requested, referring to en masse resignations of PTI MNAs submitted to the previous NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri.

CEC Raja famous that the resignations that did get despatched to the ECP had been processed and MNAs had been additionally de-notified.

Directing the petitioners to offer the reference to the PTI legal professionals, the ECP adjourned the listening to until August 22.

Again in April, Prime Minister Shehbaz revealed that in “violation of the regulation”, Khan bought Toshakhana presents — comprising diamond jewelry units, bracelets and wrist watches — price Rs140m in Dubai.

ECP sure to provide verdict in 30 days

In response to former secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad, the ECP is sure to provide a verdict on the speaker’s reference inside 30 days, adopted by the submitting of an enchantment by the defendant inside 30 days. Thereafter, the Supreme Courtroom is sure to provide a verdict inside 90 days of the submitting of the enchantment underneath the Structure.

Justice Mian Gul Aurangzeb of the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom, in a ruling, had said that Toshakhana presents given to a political persona or official by a international authorities have to be deposited within the Toshakhana.

Dilshad added the ECP can search a report from the Cupboard Division on the presents of Toshakhana and might search a file of the presents talked about within the reference.