IHC summons Imran for hearing of disqualification case today

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan for the hearing of a case related to his disqualification today (December 21).

The case, which was filed with reference to Sita White, will be heard by a two-member bench comprising IHC's Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir. It should be recalled that in 2018, a case was registered against PM Imran Khan for not declaring Tyrian White as his daughter in his nomination papers.

The petitioner had contested that the premier should be disqualified under Article 62(i)(f) of the Constitution for providing incorrect information in his nomination papers, adding that he is no longer Sadiq and Ameen.

The petitioner, Abdul Wahab Baloch, was a candidate of the Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party in the last general election. The petitioner had later joined the PTI and filed a miscellaneous petition to withdraw the case in February 2019. A hearing related to the miscellaneous request will also be heard tomorrow.

In 2018, the IHC had constituted a divisional bench to hear a case related to Imran Khan’s disqualification. The divisional bench comprised two members and was headed by former IHC judge, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui. The other member of the bench was Justice Athar Minallah.

Ex-judge Justice Aziz Shaukat Siddiqui had heard the case and issued a notice to Imran Khan, summoning him on August 1. Later on, the bench was changed and Justice Mian Gull Hasan Aurangzeb was made a part of this bench. On August 2, 2018, Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Aurangzeb had to hear the case but the bench recused from the hearing, which ultimately dissolved the bench.