ECP reserves decision on petition against Imran Khan, demands removal from post of PTI chief

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved its decision on the petition seeking removal of Imran Khan from the post of PTI chief. The petition demands his removal from this post after his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. Imran has been in jail since August 5. He was arrested after being convicted in the case. The ECP had disqualified him in this case for not disclosing the income received from the sale of gifts received from Toshakhana.

Gauhar Ali Khan elected unopposed as PTI president
On October 3, a petition was filed in the Election Commission demanding to bar Imran Khan from holding any post in his own Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Two months later, on 2 December, Imran Khan decided not to contest the ECP-mandated inter-party election for the post of party president due to his conviction in the Toshakhana case. The jailed former prime minister had instead chosen barrister Gauhar Ali Khan to lead PTI. He faced other legal challenges earlier this month. Barrister Gauhar was officially elected unopposed as PTI chief in the elections held within the party on December 2.

New president elected in party's internal elections: PTI's lawyer
On Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja presided over the hearing held at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad. During the hearing, PTI's lawyer Shoaib Shaheen said that this petition has become meaningless as the party has elected its new president. Shaheen said he has handed over the party's inter-election records to the ECP and the matter should now come to an end. Advocate Shaheen also said that if the ECP wants to hear the case, it should combine it with the petition being filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar against the party's inter-election.

What did the Chief Election Commissioner say on the matter
At the same time, Geo News quoted Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja as saying, you are giving Khalid Mehmood (lawyer for the petitioner) a chance to file a petition against the new Speaker. Advocate Mehmood also requested the CEC to mention in the order that Imran Khan cannot hold any post in the party due to his conviction. The CEC said they could not comment on the matter as the former PTI chief did not contest elections within the party. However, the ECP reserved its decision on the petition.