Imran Khan's lawyer, Uzair Bhandari, invoked a comparison between Indian and Pakistani legal standards during a hearing before the full bench of the Lahore High Court. The court was addressing two petitions related to the rejection of the former prime minister's nomination papers from two constituencies ahead of the February 8 general elections, as reported by Dawn newspaper on Wednesday.
Imran Khan, the 71-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party, has been facing legal challenges and is currently incarcerated in a high-security jail.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had rejected Khan's nomination papers for the Lahore (NA-122) and Mianwali (NA-89) constituencies, citing his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. In this case, Khan is accused of accepting luxurious vehicles from the national treasury, violating Toshakhana or state repository rules.
Bhandari argued that the conviction on the charge of moral turpitude should not be considered a disqualification. He highlighted that an Indian court categorizes the offense of moral turpitude lower than offenses related to financial corruption. However, the court observed that moral standards in Pakistan might differ from other regions.
Bhandari further contended that the returning officer had no jurisdiction to issue the order based on the conviction for moral turpitude. He pointed out that the Islamabad High Court had already suspended Khan's sentence.
In response, the ECP's lawyer argued that Khan's conviction was still in force, and he had not been acquitted by the high court. The Lahore High Court reserved its verdict in the case following the arguments.
(With Agency Inputs)
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