New Delhi: An incident of firing was reported outside the office of Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday. This comes in the wake of the disqualification of former prime minister Imran Khan from the Parliament for five years for submitting a false statement in the Toshakhana case.
#Pakistan: Firing outside Pakistan Election Commission after Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Imran Khan & found guilty of corrupt practices.#PTI Imran Khan workers baton charged outside ECP office.#ECP #toshakhana #Imrankhan #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/yEMNrUwl8d
— Amit Sahu (@amitsahujourno) October 21, 2022
According to a report by news agency PTI, this decision was taken unanimously by a five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for the announcement. As per the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran Khan for misdeclaration.
It is to be noted that security outside the Election Commission office was stepped up after the verdict. However, a large number of Imran Khan supporters gathered outside the office, escalating the tension.
Notably, the ruling coalition government lawmakers had filed a case with the Election Commission of Pakistan in August against Khan, seeking his disqualification for failing to reveal the proceeds from the sale of gifts that he had purchased at a discounted price from the state repository, also known as Toshakhana.
The ECP, after hearing the case, reserved its judgment on September 19 at the conclusion of the proceedings.
The ECP bench on Friday unanimously ruled that Imran Khan was involved in corrupt practices and was disqualified as a member of the parliament. It also announced that action would be taken against him under the corrupt practices laws.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.