"If you can't beat him..." Pak experts flay 'Toshakhana' verdict on Imran
Oct 22, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], October 22 : Pakistan election commission's decision to disqualify Imran Khan from the country's national assembly in the Toshakhana case has sparked a debate among the who's who of the country.
On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its verdict in the Toshakhana case against former Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan, disqualifying him under the 63-1(p) of the Constitution.
On the one hand, the coalition government including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expectedly lauded the decisions. On the other hand, several Pakistani journalists, lawyers and analysts disagree with the verdict.
Imran Khan was proven to be a "certified thief and a liar" by Pakistan Election Commission, Pak PM was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
In contrast with Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani Lawyer Asad Rahim Khan said while it was too soon to comment on the verdict, given the ECP's reasoning was yet to be revealed, it was "nonetheless a silly verdict".
"It would be premature to comment without reading the order, given the current ambiguity around what provision Mr Khan was disqualified under," Asad was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.
"It is nonetheless a silly verdict -- it would have been rendered meaningless under Article 62(1)(f), as the ECP isn't a court of law. Left to the even more limited parameters of Article 63, the ECP's decision can only be justified as part of the absurd sequence of events this country has seen since March, rather than any concrete reasoning of law."
In a Twitter post, Pakistani Journalist Cyril Almeida, in a witty remark said, "If you can't beat him, disqualify him..."
Imran's disqualification is "a joke", according to Pakistan Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi.
"Imran Khan's disqualification is a joke. Just like the 2017 disqualification of Nawaz Sharif. Insafis & Noonies will protest saying they aren't alike. I agree. They aren't. Except ONE commonality. Both disqualifications took place during Gen Bajwa's tenure as COAS," Zaidi tweeted.
