The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s election authority on Tuesday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan for five years from politics after the lower court's controversial verdict in the sale of official gifts.

In a notification, the Election Commission of Pakistan cited Saturday’s court order and declared Khan disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution read with Section 232 of the Elections Act, 2017.

“Therefore, Mr Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi is disqualified for a period of five years and is also de-notified as a returned candidate from constituency NA-45 Kurram-I,” Dawn cited the notification said.

However, Khan legal team already filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court against the Islamabad lower court verdict and sought to set aside it.

Khan was arrested by Pakistani authorities on Saturday after a local court in Islamabad sentenced him three year in prison with Rs 100,000 fine in sale of official gifts known as Toshakhan case. 

The country’s prominent lawyers including Salman Akram Raja, Khawaja Haris, Latif Khosa, Babar Awan, and several others also filed a joint petition in the higher court and raised questions over the lower court judgment against Khan and termed it against the laws of the country.

Jail authorities refused to allow lawyers to meet Khan 

Meanwhile, Khan’s lawyers claimed that the Attock jail authorities refused to allow them to meet Khan despite an Islamabad High Court order.

“Finally_ after waiting about two and half hours, Superintendent Attock Jail conveyed through Deputy Superintendent his inability to obey IHC orders. It has further been learnt that FIA has detained Naeem Haider Panjotha and he has been pressurised and denied access to cell phone. This is an illegal detention and we will take legal action against the concerned FIA officials. Panjotha is still detained, though he was told a hour back he would be released,” Sher Afzal Marwat Advocate, lawyer and spokesperson of Khan tweeted.

However, he later said that FIA has released Panjotha.