ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday issued a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding the five-year ban on Imran Khan from contesting elections, following his conviction in the Toshakhana concealment of assets case.
A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, took up several petitions filed by the PTI chief. National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, PTI interim chairman Gohar Ali Khan, and other party leaders were present in Courtroom No. 2.
During proceedings, Justice Salahuddin Panwhar questioned why the petitioner had not challenged the ECP notification disqualifying him, while Justice Kakar suggested summoning the ECP to explain its decision.
PTI counsel Sardar Latif Khosa argued that the sentence in the Toshakhana case was suspended, though the conviction itself was not. The bench noted that merely suspending the sentence did not affect the disqualification, citing a 2019 Supreme Court precedent (Nasir Mehmood case) which clarified that unless the conviction is specifically suspended or overturned on appeal, the disqualification remains in force.
Justice Kakar also remarked wryly at counsel’s approach, saying, “It seems your eyesight has become weak,” noting that the court needed the ECP’s perspective to properly evaluate the matter. Proceedings were then postponed indefinitely.
The bench also adjourned further hearings in the cipher case against Shah Mehmood Qureshi, allowing Special Prosecutor Zulfikar Naqvi time to submit a detailed judgement. Appeals in the defamation case filed by Shehbaz Sharif against Imran Khan were similarly deferred until after Ramazan.