Hearing of plea seeking Imran’s removal as party chief

LAHORE: Justice Abid Hussain Chattha of the Lahore High Court on Monday fixed a petition for Wednesday seeking the removal of Imran Khan Niazi as chief of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf.

The petitioner claimed that Imran Khan had been disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan from NA-95, Mianwali, after being found guilty in the Toshakhana case. Earlier, while arguing on the maintainability of the petition, the judge had asked the petitioner Muhammad Junaid if he was the affected person in the case, to which his counsel replied in the affirmative, saying that the petitioner was a voter and a citizen of Pakistan. The petitioner had contended that former prime minister and PMLN chief Nawaz Sharif was removed as party president after a court had also disqualified him. He submitted that a disqualified person could not remain head of a political party. The petitioner maintained that he had contacted the ECP to remove Imran as PTI chief, but to no avail.

Afterward, he moved the LHC for adjudication and sought directions to remove former PM Imran Khan from the office of PTI chairman.