ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s plea challenging the three-year jail term handed down to him in the Toshakhana case.
IHC will deliver its reserved verdict tomorrow at 11 am on Imran Khan’s plea in the Toshakhana case. The court’s decision comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) counsel concluded his arguments today.
Imran Khan, the former prime minister, was convicted on August 5 by a trial court in Islamabad in a case filed by the ECP. The case revolved around allegations of concealing details of state gifts. The conviction not only resulted in a three-year jail sentence for Imran Khan but also rendered him disqualified from participating in general elections for the next five years.
Imran Khan Challenges Conviction in Toshakhana Case
In response to his conviction, Imran Khan filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court. He also approached the Supreme Court against the IHC’s decision to send the case back to the trial court for reconsideration.
Last week, the Supreme Court acknowledged procedural flaws in Imran Khan’s conviction but decided to await the IHC’s verdict on his plea. This decision by the Supreme Court was met with criticism from the Pakistan Bar Council, which urged against interference in matters pending before subordinate courts.
A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the plea. Both parties’ counsels, Advocate Latif Khosa for Imran Khan and Advocate Amjad Pervaiz for the ECP, were present in the courtroom.
The ECP lawyer argued for the issuance of a notice to the state to include it as a respondent in the case. The argument centered around the necessity of involving the government in the proceedings according to the law. Advocate Khosa, representing Imran Khan, expressed no objections to this plea. The court subsequently reserved its verdict on the case after both counsels concluded their arguments.
