Lahore High Court upholds rejection of Imran Khan’s nomination papers for general elections

In a setback for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Lahore High Court on Wednesday upheld the rejection of his nomination papers for the upcoming February 8 general elections, as reported by Dawn News.

The court affirmed the decisions of the returning officer (RO) and appellate tribunal, which had ruled against accepting the nomination papers of the disqualified former premier for NA-122 and NA-89 constituencies. Imran Khan’s papers were reportedly dismissed primarily due to his conviction in the Toshakhana case, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. The case, initiated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), alleged Imran’s failure to disclose details of state gifts in his tax declarations.

Additionally, the rejection of Imran’s nomination papers for NA-122 was based on the proposer not being a voter from the constituency. The appellate tribunals supported the decisions of the respective returning officers, emphasizing the distinction between conviction and sentence in their observations.