'Idol of honesty and trust dismantled': PM Shehbaz reacts to ECP's Toshakhana verdict

• PM Shehbaz says ECP has delivered justice in Toshakhana case.
• Bilawal maintains Khan found "guilty of corrupt practices".
• Marri suggests PTI take legal action if angered by verdict.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday said that the Election Commission of Pakistan has delivered "justice" following its verdict issued in the Toshakhana reference and disqualifying PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

The prime minister took to Twitter to share his reaction to the verdict.

"The Election Commissioner has delivered justice in the Toshakhana reference. The nation witnessed how [Khan] turned the prime minister's position into a source of his personal income to commit corrupt practices. The idol of honesty and trust has been dismantled," the premier wrote, criticising PTI for fighting against the law and bringing riotous groups holding bullets/sticks onto the streets instead of bowing before the law.

"No one is above the law," the premier added.

Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman congratulated the entire nation on ECP's verdict, urging PTI and its supporters to avoid creating trouble for the public.

"We have also protested but never hurt anyone. We cannot allow mischief under the guise of protests."

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also reacted to the verdict and stated on Twitter: "Election commission of Pakistan has found Imran Khan guilty of corrupt practices. He now stands disqualified," the foreign minister tweeted, slamming Khan for "spreading lies about the alleged corruption of his political opponents" and how he has now been "caught red-handed" himself.

Following the verdict issued against the PTI chief, Minister for Poverty Alleviation Shazia Marri addressed a press conference and condemned PTI's violent reaction to the ECP's decision.

"Destroying the country should not be a reaction to the decisions of institutions and courts," she said, adding that the politics of anarchy and bullying had neither been successful in the past nor will it succeed at present.

"The PTI should take legal action if they are angered by the verdict. It should resort to bullying tactics by imposing a wheel-jam strike in the country," the PPP lawmaker remarked.

Commenting on Khan hiding his foreign funding while making claims of being 'sadiq' and 'ameen' and the PTI being annoyed at ECP's verdict in its reaction, Marri added: "Imran Khan is seeking revenge for having the prime minister's chair taken away from him. Khan's team was frustrated. The verdict that isn't issued in Khan's favour is disregarded as worthless."

She added that Khan was ousted through the vote that initially made him the prime minister.

Federal Minister for Health and PPP leader Qadir Patel, while reacting to ECP's decision against Khan, said that the commission has exposed the so-called Sadiq and Ameen.

"Imran Niazi has been proven as a hereditary thief. Even though the foreign funding allegations against him have been proven, it is surprising that he is roaming scot-free," he said.

The minister added that Khan "stole money from charity and turned theft into a profession."

"A war between [Shah Mehmood] Qureshi and [Pervez] Khattak for the chairmanship of the PTI has begun," Patel claimed.