News Analysis |
PML-N’s attempts to have Imran Khan disqualified have been dismissed by the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon. Jahangir Tareen on the other hand has been disqualified by the Supreme Court under Article 62 for a technical reason as he failed to declare that the property he owned in England was under his children’s name making it a bitter sweet day for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).
The apex court overruled the charges of foreign funding against Imran but has stated that the election commission will keep an eye on foreign funding Imran’s party receives. The court cleared him of all charges since he was not an active member of parliament. They unraveled that Imran Khan was not a shareholder or a director of any foreign company.
Now that Tareen has been disqualified on Article 62, it will become increasingly difficult for Imran Khan to continue to associate with him as he takes pride in having honest people in his party.
The court mentioned that the PTI chief was under no obligation to declare Niazi Services and that the property he had bought in Banigalla was for his family. The Supreme Court also added that Hanif Abbasi’s appeal was filed to favor some other purpose, not to have Khan disqualified. Jahangir Tareen was disqualified for a technical reason due to which he was declared guilty against one out of four charges against him. He was cleared of charges of insider trading, tax fraud and non-declaration of assets.
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The one decision that went against him was that he did not declare, as a member of parliament, that the property he owned abroad, Hyde House, owned by an off shore company, was under his children’s name. He had stated that his children used this only but he still paid for the property and failed to declare it, which is why the Supreme Court disqualified him.
The first one to comment on the decision was Sheikh Rasheed who declared, while also expressing some grief on Tareen’s disqualification, that nothing could stop Imran Khan from becoming the next Prime Minister of Pakistan.
This Supreme Court verdict came a few hours after the Hudaibiya case verdict where the Supreme Court cleared PML-N. However, PML-N lawmakers still claimed that the decision by the court on Imran Khan’s case was scripted.
He also professed his admiration for Jemima for cooperating with Imran and revealing all money trails to help clear her ex husband from the charges he was accused of. Other PTI members like Fawad Chaudhry also commented on the verdict, stating that the decision was ninety nine percent in favor of PTI and only one percent against the party. He added that the party would appeal the decision against Jahangir Tareen and was confident it will be overturned.
Imran Khan held a press conference soon after the court verdict. He stated that he had provided sixty documents to the court for the allegations against him where as Nawaz Sharif had only provided one after laundering 300 arab rupees out of the country.
The evidence Nawaz provided too was just the controversial letter from the Qatari prince that was supposed to prove the Sharif family’s innocence. He too expressed his grief about Tareen’s disqualification and said PTI would appeal the decision. This goes against what he had said earlier as the PTI chairman previously stated that whoever will be guilty in the verdict would be removed from the party.
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Other PTI members like Fawad Chaudhry also commented on the verdict, stating that the decision was ninety nine percent in favor of PTI and only one percent against the party.
This Supreme Court verdict came a few hours after the Hudaibiya case verdict where the Supreme Court cleared PML-N. However, PML-N lawmakers still claimed that the decision by the court on Imran Khan’s case was scripted. Daniyal Aziz claimed that Tareen was sacrificed to save PTI and Imran Khan.
The Hudaibiya case that had multiple facts present could have very easily gone against PML-N in the morning. Imran Khan stated that NAB presented the Supreme Court with a weak case on purpose, which is why the court dismissed it.
The Supreme Court also added that Hanif Abbasi’s appeal was filed to favor some other purpose, not to have Khan disqualified. Jahangir Tareen was disqualified for a technical reason.
It will be interesting to see how PTI will be affected by this momentous decision. Even though Imran Khan has survived and was declared ‘not out’ by numerous television channels, losing such an influential member of the party in Jahangir Tareen could prove to be very detrimental for the party. Now that Tareen has been disqualified on Article 62, it will become increasingly difficult for Imran Khan to continue to associate with him as he takes pride in having honest people in his party.
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Losing the money and influence that Jahangir Tareen provides is also going to be a huge issue PTI will have to deal with. Imran has said the decision will be appealed, however leading legal expert Saad Rasool has stated that over turning the decision against Tareen will be very difficult. Will this decision end up helping Imran Khan becoming the next Prime Minsiter like Fawad Cahudhry and Sheikh Rasheed predict, or will Tareen’s absence be too much for PTI to deal with?