Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan experienced another setback on Monday regarding the Toshakhana case when the Islamabad High Court denied his appeal to immediately suspend the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to ban Khan from holding public office on charges of unlawfully selling government gifts obtained from leaders of other nations and international dignitaries. Following this, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday announced that his party will conduct a long march towards Islamabad for the country's "haqeeqi azadi" and that it would commence from Lahore's Liberty Chowk on October 28, Friday at 11 am.
Since the disqualification only applies to the present session of Parliament and does not prevent Imran Khan from standing for a position in the future, Chief Justice of the High Court Athar Minallah decided that there is no immediate need to postpone the order. The court ordered him to resubmit his plea in three days with all the necessary paperwork.
Khan allegedly engaged in "corrupt activities" by neglecting to reveal the money he received from selling presents from various foreign officials, according to a brief order issued by a five-member panel of the election commission on Friday. Although Pakistani law does not forbid politicians from selling such goods, it is against the rules to hide such activities. According to Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesman for Khan's party, the Election Commission of Pakistan has not disclosed the complete order, which has raised many concerns about the clarification of the suspension.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party argues that the suspension only applies to the present session of Parliament, contrary to points raised on one side by the Pakistani government's Azam Nazeer Tarar, the minister of law, who says he will be disqualified from parliament for five years. The South Asian nation is currently experiencing increased political unrest as a result of the Election Commission's ruling. The economy of Pakistan is already struggling due to rising inflation, massive flooding, and declining foreign exchange reserves.
"This is our march for haqeeqi azaadi and it has no timeframe. We will reach Islamabad from the GT Road and the nation will come to Islamabad from across Pakistan. I am predicting this will be the biggest sea of people in the history of the country," Imran claimed while announcing the march.
Imran Khan may face legal action from the Pakistani government for making misleading claims to the election commission. Any arrests or charges could present a barrier for Khan, who is once again interested in the leadership position.
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