LAHORE: Justice Anwaar Hussain of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday referred to the chief justice a petition seeking removal of former prime minister Imran Khan from the office of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman following his disqualification in Toshakhana reference.

Justice Hussain noted that a brother judge, Justice Abid Hussain Chattah, was already seized with a similar petition, therefore, it would be appropriate to club both petitions.

The judge referred the petition to the chief justice with a request to fix its hearing before the judge already hearing the identical matter.

Advocate Muhammad Afaq filed the petition pleading that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified the former prime minister and de-seated him from NA-95, Mianwali, on a corruption charge.

He said the office-bearers of a political party must meet the standards provided in Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution as per the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1976 and the Political Parties Order, 2002. However, he stated, Mr Khan was violating the laws by continuing to hold the chairman’s office of the PTI, which was registered with the ECP.

The petitioner also referred to the case wherein the Supreme Court restrained former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from heading the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) following his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63.

The petitioner asked the high court to order the ECP to remove Mr Khan as PTI chairman and issue a direction for the nomination of a new party head.

CARETAKERS: Justice Anwaar Hussain on Tuesday referred to the chief justice a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) challenging ‘blanket’ powers to the caretaker government of Punjab to make transfers and postings of the officers in the province.

The judge issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the caretaker government of Punjab the other day.

However, a lawyer of the ECP told the judge that similar petitions were already pending before three different judges.

At this, Justice Hussain sent the file to the chief justice with a request to club all identical petitions before one judge.

The petition was filed through PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry.

The petitioner argued that large-scale transfers/postings by the caretaker government were being mechanically approved by the ECP, without checking them on the touchstone of the provisions of section 230 of the Election Act 2017.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the impugned notification of the ECP issued on March 10 whereby it granted blanket permission to the caretaker government to transfer, post and appoint officers in the province without seeking a prior approval of the commission.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2023