Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Planning Minister Asad Umar have filed a case in the Islamabad High Court appealing the notifications issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for violating the election code.
Prime Minister Imran Khan was handed a notice by the ECP on Wednesday night for breaking the code of conduct for local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Federal Minister Murad Saeed, and provincial ministers Mohibullah and Dr. Amjad Ali had all received notices from the ECP.
Swat, the ECP’s District Monitoring Officer, issued the notice. On March 18, he ordered the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and federal and provincial ministries to appear in person or by counsel.
Asad Umar, speaking to reporters after formally submitting the appeal before the IHC on Thursday, said that public officeholders are able to run for public office when the presidential order is issued.
The petition was signed by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and Central Secretary General Asad Umar and filed in the IHC.
According to Asad Umar, the presidential ordinance was issued in accordance with the law, and the ECP did not have the authority to interpret the laws on its own.
