IHC bins intra-court plea seeking Imran’s name on ECL

PTI challenges ECP’s delimitation schedule in SC

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday dismissed the intra-court appeal seeking an investigation of the alleged ‘letter’ and placing former prime minister Imran Khan on the exit control list (ECL).

The court also upheld the decision of a single-member bench for imposing a fine worth Rs100,000 against the petitioner Molvi Iqbal Haider.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Sardar Ijaz Khan announced the verdict, which was reserved after listening to arguments from the petitioner.

The petitioner had requested the court to place former prime minister Imran Khan and his ex-cabinet members on ECL and also sought orders for investigation of the ‘letter gate’.

Previously, a single-member bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah had dismissed the case.

Separately, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the delimitation schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the next general elections.

Former planning minister and PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar filed the petition and named the federation, ECP, secretary of ECP, statistics department, provincial chief secretaries and cabinet secretary as parties.

The petition prayed that the schedule by the ECP was unconstitutional; therefore, there was no need for new delimitation till the new census. It had further prayed the court to validate the delimitation of May 3, 2018.

It prayed that the election commission and the secretary election commission should be ordered to ensure the election process and prevent any delay in it.