The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to hear the appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on April 19, challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify him in the Toshakhana case.
Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the hearing, per the cause list issued by the IHC Registrar’s Office.
The ECP disqualified Imran Khan on October 21, 2022, under Article 63(1)(p) for making “false statements and incorrect declaration” concerning gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his term as prime minister. This decision sparked protests in various cities across the country. Following this, the ECP withheld the notification of Imran Khan’s victory on six National Assembly seats he won in the October 16, 2022, by-elections and de-seated him as a Member National Assembly (MNA) from his hometown, Mianwali.
On February 24, the ECP de-notified the former prime minister from the six NA seats. In response, Imran moved the IHC against the ECP’s decision. As a result, the court restrained the polling authority from conducting elections in NA-95 Mianwali, the National Assembly seat Imran Khan retained after becoming prime minister in August 2018.
Additionally, the IHC will hear Imran Khan’s application on April 12, seeking permission to appear in Islamabad courts through video due to death threats. Chief Justice Farooq will oversee the hearing. The court has already asked for replies from the Ministry of Interior, Law and Justice, the inspector general of Police (IGP), and others regarding this matter.
Imran Khan applied to his legal representatives, Salman Akram Raja and Faisal Chaudhry, requesting the court to allow him to attend hearings in cases against him through video link, given the security threats he faces.
