The Election Commission of Pakistan has declared former Prime Minister Imran Khan ineligible for five years. Imran Khan has been accused of illegally selling government gifts in the Toshakhana case. It announced that Imran Khan is no longer a member of Parliament. Legal action will be taken against them for corrupt conduct.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja announced the verdict at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad. This decision was taken unanimously by the 5-member bench.
Pakistan’s former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan was accused of misleading officials about gifts received from foreign leaders while in power. In August, the coalition government had filed a petition against Imran Khan for not sharing the details of Toshakhana gifts and income from their alleged sale.
Lawmakers from the ruling coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, complained to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf. who later forwarded it to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja for further action. Also, soon after the verdict was pronounced, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary asked the public to come out of their homes. He was interacting with the media outside the Election Commission.
Toshakhana, established in 1974, is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division. Valuable gifts received by rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and other government officials and heads of states and foreign dignitaries are kept here. According to the Toshakhana Rules, persons to whom these rules apply are required to inform the Cabinet Division about the receipt of gifts and other such material.