Gohar terms disqualifications harmful to democracy

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that his party has faced great injustices, and the disqualifications handed down in certain cases will always remain a matter of lament.

He added that PTI had condemned the May 9 incidents, demanded transparent investigations and filed writ petitions in this regard. “However, the punishments and disqualifications in these cases are not good for democracy. The past three years have been very difficult for democracy, and it continues to struggle to survive,” he remarked.

Talking to the media at the Peshawar High Court, he said that the court had heard the case and reserved judgment. He argued that the speaker had not referred to the reference, yet the Election Commission disqualified members.

“We expect justice from the court. We had already faced injustices. We condemned May 9, and the PTI founder also condemned it. For three years, democracy has gone through a very tough time, but there is still time to move towards improvement,” he said.

Barrister Gohar reiterated that the Chief Election Commissioner and two members had overstayed their tenure, and urged the government to complete the process of appointing new commissioners without further delay.