PESHAWAR: Two leaders of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Tuesday moved Peshawar High Court, seeking disqualification of former prime minister Imran Khan from contesting National and provincial assemblies’ elections on multiple grounds.

A petition was jointly filed by JUI-F office secretary Ahmad Ali and former candidate of the party during by-polls in Kurram tribal district in October last year Jamil Khan, requesting the court to declare that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan was not qualified under Article 62 (1) (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the Constitution and thus he should be disqualified from contesting elections in the country.

The petitioners stated that Election Commission of Pakistan had notified Mr Khan as the returned candidate from the constituency NA-45 Kurram in by-polls on October 31, so he was a public office holder.

They said that Mr Khan had portrayed himself as a religious, honest and a patriotic man, who was ‘Sadiq and Ameen’ in terms of Article 62 of the Constitution, however, in light of certain revelations and confessions of various people involved in his personal life, he was not a man of good character within the meaning of Article 62(1) (d).

Petitioners want former premier barred from contesting polls on multiple grounds

They claimed that the respondent violated Islamic principles and committed a major sin as he solemnised Nikkah with his present spouse at a time when her Iddat period of four months and 10 days after divorce from her previous husband was not covered.

In support of their contentions, the petitioners stated that recently a confession as made by the Nikkah Khwan, Mufti Saeed Khan, on a private television channel that he was not informed of the situation at that time, therefore, he termed it unlawful and offered the Nikkah ceremony again.

They also referred to the memoir of Reham Khan, former wife of Mr Khan, stating that it was published in 2018, and therein his several “affairs” were mentioned, showing that he was not sagacious, righteous, non-profligate and honest within the meaning of Article 62 (1) (f) of the Constitution.

The petition is filed through senior lawyer Kamran Murtaza.

The petitioners mentioned that the respondent had also made “U-turns” on important issues including the “cipher conspiracy and regime change”, “Gen Bajwa and establishment role”, “nepotism and corruption”, “electable”, “Russia visit”, “metro bus and BRT”, and many others.

They also referred to some of the audio leaks purportedly of Mr Khan, stating that the same also proved that he was not a righteous person.

Published in Dawn, April 5rd, 2023