ISLAMABAD   -   The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan under Article 62.

A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir conducted hearing of the petition moved by Abdul Wahab Baloch a contesting candidate of Justice and Democratic Party in the last general elections. The IHC bench dismissed his petition after he withdrew the same.

Abdul Wahab Baloch filed the petition against Imran Khan in 2018 praying to bar the PTI chief from taking PM oath as he is not Sadiq and Ameen under Article 62(1)(f) of Constitution for not mentioning his illegitimate daughter in his nomination papers.

Later Abdul Wahab submitted an application to withdraw his petition since he had joined PTI. Therefore, the court accepted his withdrawal application and dismissed the petition.

 In his petition, the petitioner stated that since Imran Khan did not reveal the identity of his daughter Tyrian White, he is neither ‘Sadiq’ nor ‘Ameen’ and should be declared disqualified to run for public office.

It was stated in the petition that Imran Khan should be declared disqualified because he did not disclose that he had a daughter as a result of his “relations with Ana-Luisa (Sita) White, a wealthy lady who was the daughter of the late Lord Gordon White, head of the American arm of the giant industrial conglomerate Hanson PLC, which he co-founded.”

According to the petition, the PTI chief did not marry Sita White because her “racist father categorically told the respondent (Imran Khan) that if he married Sita, they would not get a penny of his money. That’s the reason why the respondent did not marry Sita — he knew that he will not get any financial benefit.

It added, “Only thereafter, he found, met and in a very short time married Jemima Goldsmith, another rich lady”.

The petition mentioned that the custody of Tyrian (Sita White’s daughter) was handed over to Jemima while Ana-Lusia White, in her will dated February 27, 2004, nominated Jemima Khan as guardian of her minor daughter Tyrian Jade Brittanta Khan-White. Sita White died that year on May 13.

It continued that Jemima Goldsmith had been the spouse of Imran Khan (1995-2004). The concealed facts stood confirmed by a judgment of paternity rendered by a superior court of the state of California for the county of Los Angeles in favour of the said Sita White where it was held that the respondent was the father of Tyrian Jade. Khan initially joined the proceedings through his attorney, but defaulted after he was asked to undergo blood test.

However, the petition said that Imran, later submitted a declaration to a court of guardianship when Carolina White, a sister of Sita White, asked the court that she be appointed Tyrian’s guardian and Khan promised that if the court called him to testify, he would do so.

It argued that this declaration was executed on Nov 18, 2004, at Lahore. If he was not (Tyrian’s) father, in what capacity he submitted the affidavit of no objection in the matter of guardianship.

The petition further said that this document was executed in Pakistan for submission in the US. Therefore any legal objection cannot be raised regarding its admissibility on the basis of it being a foreign document.