PremiumFormer Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan faced a fresh jolt on Monday after Islamabad high court rejected his plea to instantly suspend the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to disqualify Khan from holding public office over charges of unlawfully selling state gifts received from heads of other nations and foreign dignitaries.
The Chief Justice of the high court Athar Minallah held that there is no urgency to immediately suspend the order as the disqualification covers only the current term of Parliament and does not bar Imran Khan from contesting the polls in the future. The court asked him to refile his appeal in three days with complete documents.
On Friday, a five-member panel of the election commission issued a brief order alleging that Khan engaged in "corrupt practices" by failing to disclose money earned from selling gifts from various foreign dignitaries. Although Pakistani law does not prohibit lawmakers from selling such gifts, concealing such transactions is illegal.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has not released the full order which has cropped up a lot of questions regarding the clarity of the suspension, Khan’s party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said.
On one side, where Law Minister of the Pakistan government Azam Nazeer Tarar claims that Khan will be barred from office for five years, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party asserts that the disqualification covers only the current term of the Parliament.
The decision of the Election Commission has pushed the South Asian country into more political turmoil. Pakistan's economy is already suffering from dwindling foreign exchange reserves, widespread flooding, and high inflation.
Imran Khan is giving tough time to the ruling government and might lead a protest march to Islamabad later this week to demand snap elections in the country.
The Pakistan government is also mulling over filing a case against Imran Khan for giving false statements to Election Commission. Any arrests or convictions can become an obstacle for Khan who is eyeing the top office again.