Imran Khan challenges Election Reforms Act 2017 in Supreme Court

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday challenged the Election Reforms Act 2017 in the Supreme Court.

In the petition filed under Article 184/3 of the Constitution, Khan maintained that the amendments in Act are in violation of the Constitution as a disqualified legislator cannot become a party chief.

By passing an amendment to the law, which generally pertains to the holding of polls in the country, the ruling party had allowed disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif to regain leadership of the party. 

The PTI leader also stated that the Act is against Political Parties Order 2002, and in direct conflict with Article 204 and 175 of the Constitution.

The petition said that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to leave his designation of party leader after the Panama case verdict of July 28 disqualified him from Parliament.

PML-N re-elects Nawaz Sharif as party president

The PML-N leader was elected unopposed during the meeting of party's general council

Khan requested the court to null and void Article 9, 10 and 203 of Election Reforms Act, as he maintained that the amendments were put in the House, in view of giving constitutional cover to Nawaz Sharif for becoming party chief again.

The intra-party election of PML-N was held after the National Assembly passed the Elections Bill 2017, paving way for former prime minister Sharif to regain the chairmanship of the ruling party.

Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has also filed a writ petition against the passage of Electoral Reforms Bill 2017,

“There is no precedent of such bills. It is clear the government has given a message to Supreme Court and army that we don’t accept Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.