Election Tribunal allows Imran to contest from NA-22

Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Election Appellate Tribunal has declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan eligible for contesting by-election from NA-22 and turndown objections placed for rejecting his nomination while upheld Returning Officer decision, on Thursday.
The petition was filed by Ali Haider seeking rejection of nomination for contesting by-election from NA-22 on the ground that Imran Khan did not declared gifts obtained from ‘Tushakhana’ along with trusteeship in Al Qadr University Trust in tax returns.
The counsel for PTI’s chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan argued that argued that Imran Khan has obtained 11 gifts out of items out of 329 items gifted to PM like watch, cuff links, pen, laptop, glasses etc. from ‘Tushakhana’ by providing 50% amount and claimed that such items are not required to be listed in the statement of assets. He added that it is not necessary to declared everything but to declare worth of total assets.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan argued that family’s record of former Prime Minister is available with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) as Bushra Bibi her wife and two sons namely Suleiman Khan and Qasim Khan while added that trustee cannot obtains profit and Imran Khan is trustee in Al Qadr trust so it is not liable to declare it.
Sindh and Lahore High Courts already turndowns identical cases against PTI’s chairman while added that suppose Imran Khan has obtained some gifts from ‘Tushakhana’ but he submitted 50% amount of the gift and claimed that during his tenure as Prime Minister, Imran Khan received 329 gifts while he obtained 11 items through legal procedure, the counsel argued.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan added that law permits every citizen to contest election from more than one constituency while PTI chairman has already resigned as Member National Assembly but it is stopped by Speaker NA for political ends.
Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected petition regarding ‘Tushakhana’ which is available on record and added that appeal made in this petition is time bar because it shall be made before scrutiny, the counsel informed. Moreover, ECP’s lawyer Mohsin Kamran Sadiq also raised similar objection that appeal before Election Appellate Tribunal is time bar while the tribunal has turndown appeal and declared nomination form of Imran Khan for contesting by-election from NA-22 correct.