A district and sessions court in Islamabad has ruled that the Toshakhana case against Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, is maintainable. The Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ), Humayun Dilawar, made the announcement, with the hearing scheduled for July 12. Witnesses have been summoned to appear on the same day.
Background and Legal Challenges
Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on October 21 of the previous year in the Toshakhana reference. He was accused of making false statements and incorrect declarations, leading to his disqualification under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution. In May of this year, a trial court dismissed Khan’s petition challenging the maintainability of the reference and indicted him on the charges. However, the PTI chief denied all the allegations.
Court Proceedings and Reactions
Imran Khan appealed the trial court’s decision to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which referred the case back to the trial court for re-examination within a week. Despite repeated summons from Judge Dilawar, Khan has not appeared in court for the subsequent hearings. During the recent hearing, the lawyer representing the election commission accused Khan of seeking exemptions and employing delaying tactics. The judge noted that the IHC had granted significant relief to the PTI chief. Khan’s lawyer, Gohar Khan, disagreed, stating that the high court did not provide relief but rather sent the case back for re-examination. Gohar expressed disappointment with the court’s decision, vowing to approach higher courts.
