Ex-pakistani PM challenges ouster

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday challenged an election commission ruling disqualifying him from holding public office for five years, his spokesman and lawyer said.

The commission Friday found that Khan illegally sold state gifts and concealed assets as premier. The ruling disqualified Khan under Pakistani law from holding public office for five years and he lost his seat in parliament automatically.

The announcement by the commission came as Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April, has been rallying supporters against the new government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and calling for early elections.