IHC bench hearing Imran disqualification case dissolved

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench hearing Imran Khan’s disqualification case was dissolved again on Wednesday after one of the two judges was removed from the case.

Earlier in this case, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was removed from the bench. Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb resumed the hearing; however, the plaintiff’s counsel argued that the earlier bench had issued the July 23 order and had shown interest in the case.

The earlier bench had given the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman until August 1 to submit a reply in the case. The plaintiff’s counsel also requested that a new bench be constituted either under the leadership of the chief justice of Pakistan or a fixed bench be made or the original bench hears the case. While the IHC registrar had already dismissed the petition, the request visiblydispleased the judges. Justice Aamer Farooq remarked, “We are not inclined to hear this case and we will not be part of the reconstituted bench to hear the matter if one is made.” He further said, “I’ll recuse from the case myself.”

Imran Khan’s counsel, Babar Awan appeared before the bench and said there is no provision to transfer case to another bench as each judge is respectable. Earlier, petitioner Abdul Wahab Baloch submitted the petition keeping the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the returning officer of NA-53 and the Islamabad appellate tribunal as respondents.

The petition stated that Imran Khan should be called upon to state why he “submitted a false declaration and affidavit and as to why his nomination to be a candidate or member of Parliament should not be rejected.”

The petition also made a clear gesture to the SC’s verdict in the case of former premier Nawaz Sharif’s Panama Papers scandal. However, the petitioner’s main argument is formed around Imran’s alleged daughter Tyrian Khan White. “Dishonestly the name of the daughter has not been disclosed,” the petition stated.

The petition also mentions Imran’s sons Sulaiman and Qasim who permanently live with former wife Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a leading billionaire and industrialist Sir James Goldsmith.

“It is not believable that the sons, who are so wealthy, living with the mother and do not hold bank accounts,” the petition adds, “Therefore, following the principle judgment of Mushammad Chatta, the nomination papers submitted by Imran violate the law and the Constitution and may be rejected with all consequences.”