A Pakistani court dismissed a petition seeking to disqualify former Prime Minister Imran Khan over claims he provided false information in his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.
The petition was filed by Mohammad Sajid, who accused Khan of not disclosing the existence of his alleged daughter, Tyrian White, in the documents he submitted for the 2018 elections. Despite allegedly having a third child, Sajid argued that Khan only listed two of his children in the papers.
Imran Khan, a former cricket star and the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led his party to victory in the 2018 general elections. He served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022.
The case had been ongoing since May 2023. Initially, it was heard by a three-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which was later dissolved by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq. A new bench resumed the hearing and on Tuesday, it decided to reject the petition against Khan.
Sajid’s petition claimed that Khan had a third child, Tyrian, with his alleged former girlfriend Sita White. As per the petition, Sita White had named Jemima Goldsmith, Khan’s former wife, as Tyrian’s guardian in her will. Sita White passed away in 2004, shortly after making the will.
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The petition highlighted that Jemima Goldsmith, who was married to Imran Khan from 1995 to 2004, was given custody of Tyrian following Sita White’s death. It also referred to a paternity judgment from a California court which declared Imran Khan as Tyrian’s father.
The lawyers representing the petitioner argued that by not declaring Tyrian as his daughter in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Khan had provided incorrect information, which warranted his disqualification. However, the court ultimately rejected this argument and dismissed the petition.
The court’s decision means that Imran Khan will not be disqualified based on the claims made in the petition. The case highlights the complex personal and legal battles faced by political figures in Pakistan.
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