ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking the recusal of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq from the bench hearing the petitions related to the Toshakhana reference.
In his petition, Imran Khan asserts that a fair and impartial trial requires the chief justice to step aside from the proceedings.
The Toshakhana reference alleges that Imran Khan had deliberately concealed details of gifts he received and retained from the Toshakhana during his tenure as the prime minister, including proceeds from their reported sales. The issue has previously led to Imran Khan’s disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and he was recently indicted in the case.
Three identical petitions were filed in the IHC, challenging Imran Khan’s indictment and seeking the transfer of the case to another judge. The court temporarily halted the criminal proceedings against the PTI chairman after hearing the pleas.
PTI Chief Seeks Unbiased and Impartial Bench
In the petition filed by Barrister Gohar Khan, Imran Khan argued that the arguments in the cases were still ongoing. He requested the recusal of Justice Farooq from the bench, citing the principles of fair hearing, unbiased tribunal, access to justice, and impartial proceedings. The plea emphasized the need for an unbiased and impartial bench to decide the unprecedented legal and constitutional questions raised in the cases.
Imran Khan expressed his belief that he would not receive fair and impartial justice from the current bench. The petition also mentioned pending matters, such as the writ petition against the ECP, which has not yet been decided, and the denial of exemption for his biometric. It highlighted instances where Imran Khan’s rights were allegedly compromised, including the denial of entrance permission for his vehicle and the handling of previous judgments by the IHC CJ.
