ISLAMABAD: Disqualification references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan are likely to be filed next week, sources told Dawn.

Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, son of former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, is expected to file a case to unseat Mr Khan, while two PTI lawmakers will be seeking the prime minister’s disqualification.

PTI targets Sharif after Arsalan’s move

Both references will be submitted to the speaker of the National Assembly, who then will have one month to decide whether the challenge is maintainable or not. If considered admissible, the references will then be forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for initiation of proceedings.

Arsalan Iftikhar, PTI MNAs obtain electoral records of both leaders from ECP

Both parties have already obtained ECP-certified copies of the nomination forms submitted by both party leaders ahead of the 2013 general elections. These will be attached to the references when they are submitted.

PTI legislators Ali Mohammad Khan and Murad Saeed have already obtained certified copies of the prime minister’s nomination papers. They applied for copies of the nomination forms on July 9 and received them from the Election Commission on July 16.

A representative for Arsalan Iftikhar obtained copies of earlier disqualification references, filed against Imran Khan in 2007, from the ECP on Friday.

Arsalan had earlier requested copies of references — filed by then-Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar in 2007 – a day after he obtained Mr Khan’s nomination papers from the ECP.

Accusations

In their reference, the PTI MNAs allege that Nawaz Sharif concealed his conviction by Lahore High Court by not mentioning it on his nomination papers.

They also quoted from Upset 2008, a book by journalist Mehmood Sham, contending that Mr Sharif had lied about his 10-year exile deal with the military government of former General Pervez Musharraf.

They also maintain that Mr Sharif had taken a ‘political bribe’ from the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) ahead of the 1990 elections and also accuse him of being involved in the Mehran Bank scandal.

Arsalan Iftikhar’s application seeks the disqualification of Imran Khan also for concealment of facts, maintaining that while Mr Khan mentions his two sons in his nomination form, he omits the name of his daughter from Sita White.

Earlier references against Mr Khan, both filed in June 2007, sought to have him disqualified on similar grounds. Dr Farooq Sattar referred to a Los Angeles court verdict of July 30, 1997, declaring that Mr Khan was father of Tyrian Jade.

Sattar had insisted that Khan should be disqualified from the National Assembly as under the law of the land, no one involved in extra-marital affairs could contest elections or continue as a member of the parliament.

Both references were forwarded by Chaudhry Amir Hussain, who was National Assembly speaker at the time, but were ruled inadmissible by the ECP on September 5, 2007.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2014