Toshakhana case against Imran Khan: District Election Commissioner Islamabad’s statement recorded

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (SABAH): The statement of the District Election Commissioner Islamabad Waqas Ahmed Malik was recorded in the criminal proceedings against former prime minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan in a case pertaining to Toshakhana reference against him. Meanwhile Imran Khan did not appear before the court instead of court orders.

Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the Toshakhana reference on Tuesday while the District Election Commissioner Waqas Malik appeared in the court and submitted an affidavit.

He said that he has been given the authority to follow the Election Commission’s decision of October 21. Section 190 of the Election Act has given the authority to take action in conjunction with 167 and 173, these actions are related to the corrupt practices of Imran Khan, the Election Commission has the authority to look into the disqualification of the member assembly on the basis of reference.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal adjourned the hearing till December 8 after recording the statement of the district election commissioner Islamabad during the hearing of the Toshakhana case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Imran Khan in the Toshakhana reference filed against him by six MNAs belonging to coalition government. The reference against Imran Khan was filed by MNA Barrister Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha carrying signatures of lawmakers Agha Hassan Baloch, Salahuddin Ayubi, Ali Gohar Khan Baloch, Syed Rafiullah Agha and Saad Waseem Sheikh and it was subsequently forwarded to CEC Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja by Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

Five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana and Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan announced the verdict. The decision was taken unanimously by the ECP’s five-member bench but the Punjab member Babar Hassan Bharwana was not present on Friday as he was unwell.

The ECP had unanimously ruled that Imran Khan was involved in corrupt practices, so that a legal action will be initiated against him. “Imran Khan is no longer a member of the National Assembly, his seat is declared vacant,” said the ruling.

In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the ECP under Articles 62A, 63A, and 223, seeking Imran Khan’s disqualification in the light of the Toshakhana scam. The disqualification reference was filed by Ali Gohar Khan, PML-N’s Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, and five others.

The 28-page reference identified 52 gift items of Toshakhana received by the former prime minister Khan, violating the law and rules, taken away at nominal prices and most of the gifts were sold in the market, including some precious watches. The assessed value of the gifts has been put at Rs 142,042,100. The gifts were received between August 2018 and December 2021.

According to PML-N MNA Ranjha, Imran Khan concealed information about the gift of watches by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in his statement of assets submitted in 2018-2019. This withholding of information is tantamount to lying which, according to Ranjha, is a crime under Section 137. He thus said that Khan was no more Sadiq and Ameen and should be slapped with disqualification for life from contesting the election under Article 62(1)(f), Article 2, Article 3 of the Constitution.

Article 62(1)(f) is the same legal instrument that disqualified former PM Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif from contesting elections and led to his removal from power, Ranjha said.