ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad district and sessions court Saturday held that the Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was maintainable as it fixed July 12 as the next date of hearing.
The court had, earlier in the day, reserved its verdict on the re-examination of the maintainability of the case against the PTI chief.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had, in October last year, disqualified the former PM in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
In May 2023, a trial court rejected Khan’s petition challenging the maintainability of the reference. It is to mention here that he was the first premier to be voted out of office through a no-trust vote.
Not only that, but the court also indicted the PTI chairman, who denied all the allegations levelled against him. The PTI chief then challenged the trial court’s decision before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which remanded the case back to the trial court for re-examination within a span of seven days.
Khan didn’t appear before the court for two hearings taken place after the IHC’s orders despite summons by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ), Islamabad, Humayun Dilawar.
In Saturday’s hearing, the ECP lawyer — also a party in the case — said that the PTI chief has been seeking exemptions from the hearing and using “delaying” tactics.
The judge noted that the IHC granted such a “big relief” to the PTI chief. At this, the former PM’s lawyer Gohar Khan said the IHC didn’t provide relief; instead, it sent the matter back to the trial court for re-examination. “And I don’t agree with this.”
The lawyer argued that there was still time in the case adding the court should give its decision in due time. The judge, however, asked the PTI lawyer to wait for his decision and subsequently rejected the plea to adjourn the hearing till Monday.
The Toshakhana case
The former PM was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during his visits abroad.
