Disqualification case: IHC fixes hearing on petition against Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday fixed the date for the hearing of a petition seeking the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

The petition stated that the PTI chief purportedly concealed information regarding his alleged daughter Tyrian Jade White.

According to the cause list issued by the registrar's office, the hearing for the petition — filed by a citizen named Mohammad Sajid — will be held by Chief Justice IHC Aamer Farooq on December 20.

The court has issued pre-admission notices to Khan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government while directing them to assist in deciding the maintainability of the petition.

In his plea to disqualify the former prime minister, the citizen has taken a stand that Imran Khan has provided incorrect information while submitting his nomination papers for the previous general elections. He added that even though the former prime minister has three children, he had mentioned two in the papers and concealed the existence of his third child.

During the previous hearing, the court asked the petitioner’s counsel whether the IHC could hear the case on the basis of Article 199 or if it should go to the ECP.

The petitioner’s lawyer, while presenting a judicial precedent, said that the court can look into the matter. He added that the court possesses the jurisdiction to review the matter even if there is factual controversy.

On December 8, the IHC served a notice to Khan in the same matter.

The court had last month reserved its verdict on the maintainability of the plea — which sought the PTI chief's disqualification for hiding information about his children in his nomination papers.

A similar case was filed in the IHC in 2018 by a citizen named Abdul Wahab Baloch seeking former prime Khan's disqualification for concealing information about White.