ECP moves to remove Imran as party head

An important meeting is underway at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) where the electoral body has decided to remove Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan from his post as party head, Express News reported. Under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, the commission is reviewing the situation after the PTI chief's arrest. Subsequently, it was decided that following his conviction, Imran was no longer eligible to hold office as the PTI chairman. Therefore, the ECP is now to issue orders dismissing him from the post. According to reports, the political finance wing of the ECP has started preparing the file and after some time a notification will be issued in this regard. Notably, the deposed prime minister Imran Khan was arrested and sent to the famous Attock jail on Saturday hours after a trial court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in prison while imposing on him a fine of Rs100,000 for "making false declarations about his assets to the polls supervisory body. Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar also disqualified the PTI chief for five years, apparently ending his prospects for taking part in the elections slated for November this year, provided that superior courts do not come to his rescue this time. Read PTI concerned over Imran's safety in jail “This court finds it more than convincing that the complainant [ECP] has provided confidence inspiring, well-knitted and corroborated evidence and so the charge against the accused has successfully been proven,” the judge said in his 30-page verdict issued at the conclusion of a rather speedy trial initiated on a criminal complaint of the ECP. The trial court said while filing Form-B for financial year 2018-2019, Imran Khan had declared "four goats" as his assets, but omitted disclosing the purchase of precious gifts from the state’s gift repository - Toshakhana - as well as their sale to different people. Every lawmaker is supposed to submit Form-B to the ECP on a yearly basis. This form is a statement of a legislator’s assets and liabilities including moveable and immovable properties in and outside Pakistan. According to the verdict, Imran Khan committed the offence of “corrupt practices by making and publishing false declarations in respect of assets he acquired by way of gifts from the Toshakhana during the years 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and 2020-21". Digital census During the ECP meeting, the digital census was also discussed. The matter remains crucial for the timely provision of elections this year. The attendees discussed whether it would delimitate new constituencies for the polls or not in accordance with the new census. In this regard, the ECP is considering legal options. The meeting consulted on whether a new census should be conducted for the general elections or not and how much the new census could delay the general elections. In this regard, the legal team gave a briefing. On Saturday, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) unanimously approved the results of the 7th population and housing census, concluding that the population of Pakistan has reached 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55% as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Read more 'ECP must speak up': Uproar in Senate over polls delay rumours The CCI’s 50th meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by chief ministers of all provinces, three federal ministers and key leaders of the allied parties were invited on special invitation. The CCI decision is likely to result in a delay in general elections slated for November this year if the assemblies are dissolved on August 9, three days shy of their term completion. A new census means a new delimitation of constituencies, which, according to some experts, may take at least four months. Talking to a private news channel, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar hinted at the possibility. It is up to the Election Commission of Pakistan as to how much time it takes to complete the process of delimitation following the unanimous decision by CCI, Tarar said. Referring to Article 51 of the Constitution, the law minister said general elections are held on the basis of the population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.