Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was disqualified by the Pakistani Election Commission (ECP) on Tuesday for a period of five years.
ECP disqualifies Imran for five years: The alteration happened shortly after Imran was found guilty and taken into custody in the Toshakhana case.
In a notification, the election watchdog declared the PTI head ineligible after finding him guilty of corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act of 2017 and sentencing him to three years.
The announcement proceede with the statement, “Therefore, Mr. Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi has been declare ineligible as per Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in conjunction with Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017.”
The ECP also de-notified Imran’s status as the “returned candidate” from NA-45 Kurram-l.
In response to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) criminal case against the PTI leader for withholding information on Toshakhana gifts, the court sentenced Imran to three years in prison and assessed him a punishment of Rs100,000.
The ruling claimed the former PM lied about gifts he received from Toshakhana, information that afterwards turned out to be untrue and erroneous.
“The evidence leaves no doubt about his dishonesty,” the statement conveyed.
Background
The Election Commission of Pakistan removed Imran from the Pakistani Parliament in October for submitting a “false” and “incorrect declaration” in his statement of assets and liabilities for the 2020–21 election cycle.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative jurisdiction of the Cabinet Division. It houses priceless presents that foreign dignitaries and heads of other governments and states have given to rulers, lawmakers, bureaucrats, and officials.
The ruling coalition’s lawmakers had filed a reference against Imran last year, alleging that he had withheld information about the gifts he received from the Toshakhana and the money from their alleged sales.
In May of this year, Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar charged Imran in the case, and he denied Imran’s appeal to challenge the maintainability of the reference.
The IHC then acted on a motion made by the PTI chairman, returning the case to the trial court for further review.
Imran petitioned the SC after the IHC decision, pleading with the top court to overturn the high court’s order.