ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a plea for disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan for not disclosing his alleged daughter — Tyrian White — in the nomination papers.
The three-member bench headed by Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case with Khan’s lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Abuzer Salman besides both parties, petitioner, his lawyer Hamid Ali Shah present in the court.
The petitioner, Mohammad Sajid — a citizen — held that Khan provided incorrect information while submitting his nomination papers for the general elections in 2018. He also said that even though the former premier has three children, he had mentioned only two in the nomination papers and concealed his third child.
As the hearing resumed, the petitioner’s lawyers argued that the PTI chairman didn’t declare Tyrian White as his daughter in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan due to which he cannot hold the position of chairman of a political party. The lawyer informed the three-judge bench that all facts related to the case have been submitted in the court along with the petition while Khan hasn’t responded to any of those.
Justice Farooq said according to the record so far, Imran Khan has neither denied nor accepted anything, further clarifying that the proceedings were being held to decide whether the case should be heard. Petitioner’s lawyer stated that Khan had mentioned his wife Bushra Bibi and two sons —Suleman and Kasim — in the affidavit. He further said that Khan had mentioned that both his sons live with their mother and not financially dependent on him.
“Tyrian White not married, dependent on her father financially”
Continuing with his argument, the petitioner’s lawyer further said that Imran Khan has not disclosed details about his daughter, Tyrian, who wasn’t married and as per Islamic laws was financially dependent on her father.
He furher said that even if the case is regarding the party chairman position then it too should be admitted for hearing, as according to court decisions, a person is disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) for submitting false affidavit. At this, the court asked that if the bench decides that the affidavit was false then what will happen? Responding to this, the lawyer said in such a case, Imran Khan will be disqualified from the party head position nor can he become a member of the national assembly.
The court also inquired about the ECP’s take in this regard, to which the ECP lawyer said that such petitions in this regard had been rejected in the past.
Expressing its indignation, the IHC bench mentioned that the hearing was being held to decide whether the petition was worthy enough to be continued or not. If the case was worthy of being admitted/heard, then only, the proceeding will continue otherwise it will be dismissed.
