ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday declared a session court’s verdict regarding maintainability of the Toshakhana case against PTI chairman Imran Khan.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the ruling on various petition filed by the former premier against his trial in the Toshakhana case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan seeking criminal proceedings against him for not declaring the Toshakhana gifts in the asset declaration.
The chief justice has also remanded back the case to the sessions court to take it up as anew and decide again on its admissibility.
Last month, the trial court declared the Toshakhana case admissible and subsequently, the decision was challenged by the PTI chief in the high court.
Furthermore, the IHC has turned down a petition of the PTI chief seeking transfer of the case to another court, saying Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar will hear the case.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan concluded all appeals related to the Toshakhana case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The proceedings were overseen by a three-judge panel, led by Justice Yahya Afridi. Present at the hearing were representatives from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Khawaja Haris, the lawyer representing Imran Khan, who is also the leader of PTI.
The court raised inquiries during the session, seeking updates on a stay order issued by the high court. Khawaja Haris, acting on behalf of Imran Khan, informed the panel that a decision on the stay order is still pending, and the matter remains undecided.
Following Imran Khan’s withdrawal of his plea, the Supreme Court concluded all petitions related to the Toshakhana case. In its commentary, the Supreme Court emphasized that both the high court and the trial court should adhere to the essence of the law throughout the proceedings. The court acknowledged that the request to move the case to a different court is still awaiting a decision in the high court.
