IHC accepts plea for early hearing of PM Imran’s disqualification case

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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday accepted an appeal seeking early hearing of a petition seeking Prime Minister Imran Khan’s disqualification.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the petition and ordered that the hearing be fixed for Thursday.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah told the petitioner, “Satisfy the court on Thursday regarding whether the petition is maintainable or not.”

The case of Imran Khan’s disqualification had begun in 2016 when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi filed a petition against Imran accusing him of money laundering, concealing assets and receiving funds from foreign sources for his party.

In July 2017, Imran with the help of Jemima submitted the money trail; however, Abbasi’s counsel raised the issue of a London flat. The PTI chief ultimately submitted revised documents regarding financial details of offshore company Niazi Services Limited.

Soon after the apex court ruled in favour of Imran Khan.

Earlier on August 2018, Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) senior judge Justice Athar Minallah recused himself from the bench set to hear the latest petition seeking the PM’s disqualification, saying that the petitioner belonged to former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s political party, where he [Justice Minallah] had served as a spokesperson.

Petitioner Abdul Wahab Baloch, a candidate for election from NA-53 belonging to the Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party (PJDP) has objected to Khan not declaring his ‘daughter’ Tyrian in the nomination papers.