ISLAMABAD    -    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday asked the petitioner’s counsel to satisfy the court on the next hearing that Tyrian White is daughter of former prime minister Imran Khan.

A larger bench of the IHC head­ed by Chief Justice of IHC Jus­tice Aamer Farooq and compris­ing Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Arbab Tahir conducted hearing of a petition seeking dis­qualification of PTI Chairman Im­ran for allegedly concealing his al­leged daughter in the nomination papers submitted to contest the 2018 general elections.

During the hearing, the IHC Chief Justice said that everyone is enti­tled to privacy but this case is being heard due to a legal issue. He further said that the former prime minister should simply accept or deny having a daughter. Justice Aamer remarked that it is unfortunate for someone’s private life to become a public issue and asked Khan’s counsel to take a clear stand. He added that this is a two-minute case and either you ad­mit or deny then the hearing will come to an end. The judge said that if you deny, the petition will be dis­missed for now and in the next elec­tion, someone will bring this issue again,” he remarked.

Khan’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja did not appear before the bench and his assistant counsel said that the pe­titioner has requested to amend his petition. Objecting the request, he said that they need time to reply in writing. The petitioner’s counsel sub­mitted a copy of the affidavit given in the case of Imran’s alleged daughter Tyrian being concealed. He said that an American court has declared that Khan is the father of Tyrian White.

Justice Kayani said that he has submitted an incomplete decision of the American court related to Tyrian. He added that guardian­ship is written in the affidavit but there is no mention of being a fa­ther. He further said that this is a foreign document and an ex-parte order while this document cannot be said to be completed. Further, he said that the petitioner must prove Imran’s recognition of his daughter. He added that even if the daughter has said that he is her father, this is not binding on Imran Khan.

Justice Kayani also said that the petitioner must show Imran’s con­fession in clear words admitting to being Tyrian’s father. He maintained that the petitioner has to clearly show Imran’s paternity to Tyrian.

He continued that first you need to prove that this girl is Khan’s daughter and then the issue of Ar­ticle 62(i)(f) will come. The lawyer argued that Jemima and Imran had given a no objection certificate, giv­ing their consent for Tyrian’s guard­ianship and questioned why no one else had done so.

Justice Aamer also asked the pe­titioner’s counsel that if they had a copy of the case filed there, add­ing that there must be some docu­ment for the judges to see. The law­yer said that all foreign records are in front of the court and have been confirmed by the Foreign Office. He asked that if Imran Khan is not relat­ed to Tyrian, why did he give the af­fidavit of guardianship?