PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s indictment in Toshakhana case deferred again till 28th February
ISLAMABAD, Feb 21 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan was given relief on Tuesday by an Islamabad court which granted him exemption one more time and deferred his indictment till February 28 in the Toshakhana case.
Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the case on Tuesday filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last year after it found the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman guilty of corrupt practices.
As the proceedings commenced, the court inquired why there was another exception request, directing Imran Khan to appear in court.
Imran Khan’s counsel Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the ousted premier’s X-rays will be conducted on February 28 and he can only appear in court after that.
Justice Iqbal remarked that “it does not seem like there will be a trial”. When Gohar explained that Imran had reached the Lahore High Court (LHC) yesterday “with great difficulty”, the judge said that “he will have to come here with the same difficulty”.
The judge furthered that the court will get a confirmation from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and questioned “what is the nature of the injuries? Show which injury Imran Khan has suffered?”
During the hearing, the lawyer representing the ECP pleaded for the formation of a medical board. He argued that Imran did not appear in the LHC in a wheelchair but instead did on his own.
The judge noted that the summons had been ordered on January 9 for “February 21 (today)” and said that the court has been “giving exemptions on every date”.
Barrister Gohar said that if the court approves the exemption for today, the PTI chief will be present on the next date. “Imran is not appearing due to his doctor’s suggestion and security reasons,” he added.
Subsequently, the court accepted Imran’s exemption plea and postponed the process of indicting the PTI chief till February 28, adding that “there will be no delay beyond that”.
In October last year, the ECP pled to the trial court to initiate criminal proceedings against the ex-PM. The case was referred to the district and sessions judge under sections 137, 170 and 167 of the Election Act.
The written ruling read that the PTI chairman had “intentionally and deliberately” violated the provisions contained in sections 137, 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017 as he submitted a “false statement” and “incorrect declaration” to the electoral body in the details of his assets and liabilities filed by him for the year 2020-21.
In the written judgment, the ECP said: “As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.”
“The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn’t declare it,” the commission’s decision read.