ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (ABC): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan.
A four-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the reference seeking disqualification of PTI Chairman Imran Khan from holding any public office for concealing the Toshakhana gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as prime minister of Pakistan.
Barrister Ali Zafar and Barrister Gohar represented Imran Khan, while Khalid Ishaq represented Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha.
Khalid Ishaq argued that Imran Khan did not share the details of gifts he purchased from Toshakhana. PTI chairman, in his reply submitted to the ECP, had admitted that he had received gifts and sold these in the same financial year he had received them.
He said that the former prime minister had also admitted that he had not mentioned these gifts in his returns submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) because he thought that disclosing sold assets was not mandatory.
Khalid Ishaq said that the case in the commission was against Imran Khan and not any other member of the assembly, adding that every Member of Assembly was bound to submit details of assets to the Election Commission and failure to submit returns within 120 days may result in action under corrupt practices.
Barrister Ali Zafar, counsel for the former prime minister, said that the National Assembly (NA) speaker did not have the power to send the reference. “In fact this case has become political as leaders of rival political parties were holding press conferences to prove they were on the right side,” Barrister Zafar said.
The ECP was not authorized to judge the integrity of members of the parliament (MP). The disqualification under Article 62-1-F is the prerogative of the courts not the Election Commission of Pakistan. “Has any court proved that Khan was not Sadiq and Ameen,” Barrister Ali Zafar asked.
The Toshakhana case was brought before the electoral watchdog last year after the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) accepted an application on the matter and directed the Cabinet Division to provide information about the gifts received by the then-prime minister Imran Khan from foreign dignitaries.