ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan Monday challenged in the Supreme Court order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejecting PTI’s references against dissidents.

He filed the appeal in the Supreme Court under Article 163A (5) of the Constitution against the order passed by the Election Commission of Pakistan May 11, 2022. Filed through Advocate Faisal Farid Hussain, the PTI chairman had made the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Raja Raja Riaz Ahmed Khan, his dissident MNA, respondents.

He submitted that the order passed by the Election Commission of Pakistan amounted to putting Article 63-A of the Constitution in redundancy, allowing defection, horse-trading and floor-crossing in the most casual way and defeats the purpose and objective of the provision in letter and spirit.

He prayed the apex court to declare the order passed by Election Commission May 11 as illegal, unconstitutional and against the facts and declaration dated April 8, 2022, issued by him against the dissident legislators under Article 63-A of the Constitution be upheld. He submitted that under Section 4 of Election Act 2017, the ECP was under a statuary duty to do “complete justice”.He further submitted that the ECP had erred and failed to take into consideration the object and purpose of Article 63-A, adding that plain reading of the article reflects that it provides several other modes for disqualification for defection. The appellant has been treated in most unfair, unjust and ordinary manner by the ECP, he said.

Imran Khan submitted that Raja Riaz Ahmed had contested 2018 elections on the ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (the appellant) and won the MNA seat on its votes. When on March 8, 2022, the opposition parties had moved a resolution of no-confidence against the appellant, he acted in most treacherous and unfaithful manner and changed his loyalties to the then opposition PDM and became a turncoat.

Imran Khan submitted that while taking took notice of his suspicious and damaging anti-PTI activities had issued him a show cause dated March 19, 2020, but Raja Riaz refused to take delivery of the afore said notice therefore, he later on attached a frivolous reply (that was never received by the appellant nor the respondent provided any record thereof before the ECP.

By indulging in constant mocking of law and the Constitution, he had openly admitted in a TV talk show that he would apply and contest the next general election on the PMLN ticket, he contented.

Imran submitted that in case the judicial notice of illegal and unlawful actions was avoided and the respondent was let go scot free, it would amount to non-existence of law and the Constitution in the country.