ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday put off for an indefinite period hearing of petitions seeking disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and another party leader Jahangir Khan Tareen.

A five-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza observed that cases of similar nature were pending before the Supreme Court and adjourned the hearing till they were decided.

The petitions against Mr Khan and Mr Tareen had been filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) lawmakers Talal Chaudhry and Muhammad Khan Daha, respectively. The deferment of the cases by the ECP has brought a respite for the PTI leadership.

The ECP in March this year had rejected disqualification references against the two top PTI leaders. The references had been filed with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq by PML-N lawmakers in August last year. Deeming the references valid, the speaker had forwarded them to the ECP in September.

The reference against Mr Khan mentioned his offshore company and properties abroad, income, the fact that he had not disclosed an investment to the ECP and his alleged misstatements about his Banigala residence.

It alleged that Mr Khan had purchased a flat in London through an offshore company in 1983 and did not disclose this fact until 2016. Another allegation against him was about his sprawling Banigala residence, which he had declared to be a gift from his ex-wife.

The reference questioned the sources of income that he used to construct the palatial house, accusing him of concealing his investment in the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Constitution Avenue in the declaration of assets submitted to the ECP for the year 2014.