Pak poll body to decide on disqualification references against Imran, Tareen on Feb.22

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that it will decide on the two references sent by the National Assembly speaker seeking disqualification of PTI leaders Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen on February 22.

Justice (Retired) Sardar Raza Khan was quoted by the Express Tribune, as saying that he was annoyed over the absence of Akram Sheikh, the counsel for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in connection with the case.

Some PML-N lawmakers had submitted two references against PTI chief Imran Khan and the party's secretary-general Jahangir Tareen to the speaker of the National Assembly after PTI filed references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last year for his disqualification.

The case was referred in September last year and the stipulated duration of 90 days for an ECP decision on these references had already expired. Both references are still pending with the ECP.

PTI has already filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), claiming both references had become infructuous since these were not decided within the constitutional timeframe. The ECP official countered the argument and said that there were constitutional provisions allowing it to take up matters not completed on time.