The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dealt a blow to the hopes of the PTI founder, rejecting his petition to suspend the verdict in the Toshakhana case. This verdict effectively disqualifies him from contesting the upcoming general elections.
The court found the appeal documents incomplete and returned them to the petitioner with the opportunity to re-submit them with all relevant materials by January 6th, 2024. This delay likely puts an end to any possibility of his participation in the February 8th elections.
The case stems from the controversial Toshakhana scandal, where the PTI founder received gifts from foreign dignitaries during his time as Prime Minister. Though the Islamabad High Court had previously suspended his sentence in the case, the Election Commission of Pakistan interpreted this as insufficient and notified his disqualification.
In his petition, the PTI founder argued that the high court’s decision did not fully disqualify him and that, as a former Prime Minister and leader of a major political party, he shouldn’t be denied the right to contest the elections. He therefore requested the Supreme Court to overturn the disqualification and allow him to run.
However, the Supreme Court’s rejection throws a wrench into these plans. With less than two months until the elections and incomplete appeal documents, his participation appears highly unlikely. This decision potentially impacts not only the personal political future of the PTI founder but also the party’s performance in the upcoming elections.
It’s important to note that the Islamabad High Court had previously rejected a similar request from the PTI founder, further diminishing his chances of a successful appeal. The full details of the Supreme Court’s reasoning and the petitioner’s next steps remain to be seen, but the current ruling presents a significant obstacle to his political ambitions.
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