These directives were issued to ECP by a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while hearing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi's plea seeking disqualification of the PTI chairman and party's general secretary Jahangir Khan Tareen from National Assembly over alleged violation of Income Tax Ordinance 1979 and Representation of Peoples Act 1976.

Concluding his arguments on behalf of Abbasi, Akram Sheikh requested the court to club the petition in hand with the Panama Paper case. Sheikh pleaded that transfer of the Banigala land from Jemima Khan to Imran Khan during their wedlock is understandable in 2002 but money trail and transfer of title of the land from Jemima Khan after divorce is beyond understanding.

Responding to a Justice Umar Atta Bandial who observed whether such transactions violated Articles 62 and 63, Akram Sheikh submitted that these fall in the purview of benami transactions. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that the petitioner has levelled following allegations against Imran Khan are receiving foreign funding, concealing the fact before ECP about offshore company, money received from Jemima, money trail regarding London flat and the Banigala land.

Sheikh contended that Imran Khan had hot mentioned in nomination papers of 2002 the Banigala property title of Jemima Khan nor did he describe details of the loans he received from Jemima. To which Justice Umar Atta Bandial observed transaction of loans between wife and husband is a privileged communication which has nothing to do with declarations.

Seeking Imran Khan's disqualification form the membership of the Parliament, Akram Sheikh contended that it is a settled law whenever misstatement is proved, it provides grounds for disqualification. Later, the bench asked the ECP to provide details of assets and liabilities of the PTI Chairman Imran Khan on May 12 and adjourned the hearing of case for May 10 (today) PTI lawyer Anwar Mansoor will commence arguments from today.-Business Recorder