ISLAMABAD – The Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) yesterday disqualified former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan within the Toshakhana reference underneath Article 63(1)(p) for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”. The electoral watchdog in its resolution says, “We are of the considered opinion that the respondent has become disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution read with Section 137, 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017, consequently he ceases to be a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and his seat has become vacant accordingly”. The spokesman of high election physique Haroon Shinwari, speaking this newspaper, stated that 4 members of the ECP have signed the decision The fifth member shouldn’t be avail¬in a position as he was struggling dengue fever. “The fifth member of the bench will be available tomor¬row [Saturday] for his signature over the verdict,” he stated. It might be famous right here that the unavailability of a fifth member additionally sparked a debate however the spokesman of the fee confirmed that the ailing mem¬ber was not out there on account of his well being. The few operative pag¬es of the written verdict avail¬in a position with The Nation, say the respondent [Imran Khan Niazi] had intentionally hid the fabric details by not disclosing particulars of presents in a press release of his property and liabilities for the 12 months 2018-19. He has additionally not supplied particulars of the presents gadgets required underneath column number-Three of Type-B. “The respondent has also made evasive and ambiguous statement in his reply that the gifts purchased by him during the financial year were gifted by him or on his behalf to oth¬ers. Therefore, it is established that he has deliberately con¬cealed material,” in line with the decision. “The respondent has intentionally and deliber¬ately violated the provisions contained section 137, 167 and 173 of the Election Act, 2017, who had made a false state-ment and incorrect declaration before the commission in the statement of assets and liabili¬ties filed by him [Imran Khan]. Hence, attracts disqualification under article 63(1)(p)of the Constitution read with section 137 and 173 of the election act 2017,” it reads. This reference was filed in opposition to former prime minis¬ter Imran Khan by the member of presidency, for “not shar¬ing details” of Toshakhana presents and proceeds from their al¬leged sale. The members from the PDM had submitted the ref¬erence to Nationwide Meeting Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who had subsequently ahead¬ed it to Chief Election Commis¬sioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja for additional motion. The Toshakhana is the de¬partment established underneath the executive management of the Cupboard Division. It shops pre¬cious presents given to rulers, par¬liamentarians, bureaucrats, and officers by heads of oth¬er governments and states and overseas dignitaries. In line with Toshakhana guidelines, presents/pres¬ents and different such supplies acquired by individuals to whom these guidelines apply shall be re¬ported to the Cupboard Division. The paradox over the interval of disqualification began after the totally different interpretations of authorized fraternity over the choice of a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Fee¬er (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. Minister for Legislation Azam Nazeer Tarar, addressing a press con¬ference, remarked that Imran Khan has disqualified for 5 years, whereas, different authorized ex¬perts seen that the PTI Chief has been disqualified just for the present authorities’s time period. Speaking to The Nation, former secretary Election Fee of Pakistan Kanwar Dilshad stated that he had noticed some am¬biguity within the interpretation of the decision in Toshakhana case. “In my view, Imran Khan has been disqualified for the cur¬rent government tenure ending on August 2023,” he stated, quot¬ing the Article 63(1)(p). The article 63 (1) (p) of the Structure states that an indi¬vidual is, “for the time being, dis¬qualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Ma¬jlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”. The previous ECP secretary stated that Imran Khan would be capable to contest after the tenure of this authorities. “All the six seats would be considered as vacant,” he stated, clarifying the standing of six seats Imran Khan has received within the latest bye-polls. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), in its immediate response, says that they’d problem the decision within the court docket. “We are going to challenge it in the Is¬lamabad High Court right now,” stated PTI’s financial mind in his tweet and different senior mem¬bers additionally remarked the identical. Asad Umar additionally tweeted that the choice could be chal¬lenged within the courts as a “minus Imran would always remain a distant dream”. The senior members of PDM rushed to carry pressers after the decision. They selecting the robust phrases remarked that Im¬ran Khan has confronted his actual des¬tiny. “He [Imran Khan] never missed a day saying other poli¬ticians as Chor [thief], now his own concealments of the facts have been revealed,” stated Min¬ister for Defence Khawaja Mu-hammad Asif. JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman congratulated the na¬tion on the closure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Im¬ran Khan’s political chapter as he had been disqualified on the costs of misdeclaration within the Toshakhana case by the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP). “Imran Khan is an unneces¬sary element of the country’s politics and he was installed in the politics by the external forces,” he stated including that PTI Chief was not a dependable particular person as he stored on altering his state¬ments again and again. Minister for Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that every one proof within the case had been documenta¬ry, on the premise of which the ECP had discovered Imran concerned in “corrupt practices”. “The ECP has now referred his case for criminal proceedings against him in an appropriate court of law,” he knowledgeable. Tarar accused PTI “mobs of at¬tacking cities” and consequent¬ly, creating hassle for individuals within the wake of the decision. “What happened outside the ECP to¬day — you did not even hold back from opening fire [at us].” The minister stated motion was being taken over these alleged actions by PTI staff. Earlier within the day, PTI leaders termed the decision as “biased” and stated that “minus Imran for¬mula” wouldn’t be acceptable to them. PTI leaders of their robust reactions termed the de¬cision a ‘slap in the face” of 220 million people and vowed that ‘minus Imran’ was unacceptable and it could stay a distant dream as a result of PTI chairman was their crimson line. Reacting to the choice, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that they didn’t ac¬cept the ‘minus one’ resolution. “Pakistan’s democracy cannot run without Imran Khan. This injustice to Pakistan’s most be¬loved leader is unacceptable,” he vowed. “There should be no doubt that Imran Khan is our red line,” he added. PTI Secretary Normal Asad Umar additionally reacted strongly to the choice that the celebration would take this to the excessive court docket and the decision wouldn’t even stand for just a few hours. “We expected this verdict. Our lawyers are prepared, the petition is ready and the decision will be challenged in the high court,” he stated. He stated whoever is dream¬ing about “minus one” and “mi¬nus Imran Khan” ought to be clear that “it is not happening”. PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Pervez Khattak stated, “Toshakha¬na case against Imran Khan is ab¬solutely baseless, who is our red line, so watch out.” Talking to the media outdoors the ECP workplace, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry stated that ruling was a slap within the face to 220 million individuals. “Today is the beginning of the revolution,” he stated and add¬ed, “Nobody can disqualify Khan. The ECP did precisely what we ex¬pected of them, he added.
