ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Chairman Imran Khan has once again approached the Supreme Court, seeking the annulment of his conviction in the Toshakhana case and challenging the trial court’s verdict.
The latest submission comes after the Supreme Court Registrar’s Office raised objections, prompting Khan’s legal team to rectify the issues. The appeal, filed by Sardar Latif Khosa under Article 185 of the Constitution, was initially returned on December 23 due to incomplete documents. The refiled appeal aimed to overturn Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case, where he was sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs100,000.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar on August 5, 2023, for his involvement in graft in the Toshakhana case. This conviction led to Khan’s disqualification from holding any public office for five years.
In an attempt to contest the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024, Khan petitioned the Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order in the Toshakhana case. His legal efforts include multiple petitions to overturn the conviction and secure eligibility for the elections.
IHC Rejects Imran Khan’s Plea Against Disqualification
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected Imran Khan’s plea to suspend the trial court’s verdict in the Toshakhana case. In his plea filed with the IHC, the same court that had previously suspended his sentence, Khan sought to nullify the conviction. In a fresh petition, Khan appealed for the suspension of the IHC’s verdict, arguing that his sentence in the Toshakhana case had already been suspended.
He contended that the partial suspension of his sentence, rather than the entire order of conviction by the trial court, was denying him the fundamental right to contest elections, as the trial court’s order currently bars him from running for office. The IHC’s two-member bench, on December 21, rejected Khan’s request to suspend his conviction, which would have allowed him eligibility to stand in elections.
