Plea to bar Imran from contesting 9 by-polls dismissed

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Thursday dismissed a petition, challenging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan’s decision to contest by-polls in nine constituencies, after being withdrawn.

The LHC heard the petition, filed by Aman Taraqi Party Punjab President Mian Asif Mehmood. The court questioned whether the PTI chief had submitted nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The petitioner’s counsel replied that the papers had not been submitted yet. The court observed that the matter was still immature, adding that it related to the jurisdiction of the ECP and asked why the petitioner had not approached it. The court remarked that after submission of nomination papers, the petitioner should first approach the ECP.

The counsel sought permission to withdraw the petition. Subsequently, the court dismissed the petition as being withdrawn. The petitioner had sought directions to restrain the PTI chairman from contesting by-polls from nine constituencies that have fallen vacant after the NA speaker had accepted the resignations of his party lawmakers.