LHC Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sehti accepts plea seeking removal of Imran Khan as PTI chief for hearing

LAHORE, Nov 04, (SABAH): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday admitted for hearing a petition seeking the removal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan after his disqualification in the Toshakhana reference.

The LHC had on Thursday reserved the verdict on the maintainability of the plea, filed by Advocate Mohammad Afaq.

Justice Muhammad Sajid Mehmood Sethi announced the decision on Friday and served notices to the attorney general for Pakistan and advocate general of Punjab. The court also sought replies from the respondents by Nov 11 (Friday).

The petition named Imran Khan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the government of Pakistan, and others as respondents.

The plea argued that according to the Representation of the People Act 1976 and Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002 it was a legal and constitutional requirement for party officeholders to be qualified in accordance with Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The petition said that after Imran’s disqualification from the NA-95 constituency it was “just” for him to be denotified as the PTI chairman and an order should be issued to this effect.

He contended that a disqualified person could not head a political party under the Political Parties Order and its rules.

He argued that Imran is violating the laws by continuing to head the PTI, which was a registered party with the ECP.

The lawyer requested the court to order the ECP to remove Imran as PTI chairman and issue directives for the nomination of a new party head.