On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected a petition for the disqualification of PTI founder Imran Khan, relating to his alleged failure to disclose a daughter in his 2018 election papers.
The case was heard by a new bench consisting of Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir, Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz and Justices Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.
Previously, the case had been in limbo since May 2023 after the dissolution of a three-judge bench by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq. This dissolution followed the posting of opinions by two judges on the court’s website, which were not signed by the bench head and thus not official.
During the hearing, Advocate Hamid Ali Shah, representing the petitioner, mentioned that Salman Akram Raja had submitted an adjournment petition. In response, Naeem Haider Panjhuta, the lawyer for Imran Khan, contended that the issue had previously been settled by a verdict temporarily posted on the official court website. However, this verdict was later removed, leading to the reconstitution of the bench.
Justice Jahangiri clarified that the opinions of Justice Kayani and Justice Tahir alone did not constitute a formal verdict, as the chief justice did not sign them. Advocate Shah requested additional time to prepare, after which he could assist the court further.
The court reiterated that the disqualification plea had been dismissed by the majority of the bench, emphasizing that the decision had already been issued.
The petitioner, Mohammad Sajid, had accused Khan of omitting details of his alleged daughter, Tyrian, whom he reportedly had with Sita White, in his electoral documents. Despite Sajid’s claims that Khan provided incorrect information and concealed the existence of his third child, the court upheld the dismissal of the plea.
