ISLAMABAD – Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday remarked that there were apparently shortcomings in the trial court’s decision of handing down three-year jail sentence to PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.
The top judge made the remarks when a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by him and comprising Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail heard the former PTI chief’s plea challenging the Islamabad High Court’s order of remanding the Toshakhana case to lower court judge Humayun Dilawar.
On August 5, Judge Dilawar announced verdict in the Toshakhana case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan over not declaring the state gifts. The judge found the PTI chief guilty and sentenced him to jail for three years.
Subsequently, the former premier challenged his conviction and sentence in the high court, which is set to take up the plea on August 24 (tomorrow).
During today’s hearing, the chief justice pointed out that prima facie there were shortcoming in the verdict, adding that it appeared that the trial court announced the decision in haste. However, he did not interfere in the matter since it is pending in the high court.
The top judge remarked that the court would wait for the IHC decision before any intervention.
PTI lawyer Latif Khosa and Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) counsel Amjad Pervaiz appeared before the apex court to submit the arguments.
After hearing both sides, the CJP remarked that SC will not interefere in the matter today, adding that it would resume proceedings after the IHC hearing.
SC forms bench to hear Imran Khan’s petitions against Toshakhana ruling
