Pakistan's former premier challenges his disqualification in court

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday challenged his disqualification by the country's top election tribunal in a high court, a defense counsel and local media reported.

Ali Zafar, Khan's counsel, filed the appeal with the Islamabad High Court and then talked to the media outside the courthouse, saying the hearing on the petition will commence on Monday.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday disqualified Khan from holding public office after finding him guilty of "unlawfully" selling gifts he received while serving as the country's premier.

A five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja issued a unanimous decision declaring him unseated from parliament.

According to the ruling, Khan should face criminal charges for concealing the details of gifts he received from different countries during his over three-year tenure as prime minister.

The commission disqualified Khan under Article 63 (p) of the Constitution, which states that "he is for the time being disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or of a Provincial Assembly under any law for the time being in force."

His party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), rejected the verdict and declared a nationwide strike against the election commission.

Khan has staged a series of anti-government rallies since his ouster from power in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April and has called for early elections, which are otherwise scheduled for late next year.

In a by-election earlier this week, he won six of the seven National Assembly seats he was running for across the country.