ECP disqualifies Imran for five years

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for five years following his conviction in Toshakhana case.
A notification of disqualification has been issued by the electoral watchdog. The ECP also de-notified the PTI chief from the NA-45 Kurram. An Islamabad court handed a three-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs100,000 to the PTI chief in Toshakhana case. This decision came during the hearing of the criminal complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the PTI chairman. The complaint accused the former prime minister of concealing information regarding gifts received at Toshakhana.
Later, the PTI chairman was arrested by Punjab police from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Aug 5. In a notification issued today, the ECP said, “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Parliament if he has been, on conviction for any offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.”
The electoral watchdog declared the PTI chairman disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution read with Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017. The Toshakhana case, initiated by lawmakers of the ruling party, originated from a criminal complaint brought forward by the ECP. The case asserted that the PTI chief had purposefully hidden details regarding gifts he retained from the Toshakhana – a repository where presents given to government officials by foreign dignitaries are stored – during his tenure as prime minister, along with proceeds from their reported sales.
In accordance with Toshakhana regulations, individuals subject to these rules are required to report gifts, presents, and similar items received to the Cabinet Division. The former prime minister faced multiple legal challenges over his retention of these gifts, a matter that ultimately led to his disqualification by the ECP.
PTI chief moves IHC against conviction in Toshakhana case: Former prime minister Imran Khan who is currently incarcerated in Attock Jail filed a plea in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, challenging his conviction in the Toshakhana case by a trial court.
The application was filed by the former premier’s lawyers Khawaja Haris and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. “The decision of the trial court in the Toshakhana case is against the law,” stated the plea seeking for the verdict to be annulled. The petitioner’s counsels have requested the high court to issue an order for the release of the PTI chief by suspending the sentence pending the decision on the central appeal.
Notably, deposed prime minister Imran Khan was arrested and sent to the famous Attock jail on Saturday hours after a trial court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in prison while imposing on him a fine of Rs100,000 for making false declarations about his assets to the polls supervisory body, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On August 5, a trial court in Islamabad had sentenced Imran to three years in prison in the case. The verdict also disqualified Imran from contesting general elections.
“He [Imran] cheated while providing information about gifts he obtained from Toshakhana which later proved to be false and inaccurate.