The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan challenging the recently-passed Elections Act 2017, saying that it should be referred to a relevant forum instead.

The petition had been filed by Khan through his counsel, Babar Awan, under Article 184/3 of the Constitution as a 'public interest' case.

Khan had argued that the apex court should to strike down clauses 9, 10 and 203 from the Act, alleging that the law had been modified solely to accommodate Nawaz Sharif as president of the PML-N, which is a violation of the Constitution.

A person who has been deemed unfit to hold public office cannot hold a party position, the petition had argued.

Khan had also alleged that the Elections Act 2017 was therefore in contravention of not only the Political Parties Order of 2002, but also Articles 175 and 204 of the Constitution.

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