A district and sessions court in Pakistan rejected the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) petition for an expedited hearing in the Toshakhana case, providing relief for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The court presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal, decided to maintain the original hearing date of April 29.
Imran Khan faces charges related to corrupt practices involving the state Toshakhana, allegations he denies.
In October of last year, the ECP found Khan guilty of unlawfully selling gifts from foreign dignitaries and heads of state, resulting in a ban on him from holding public office. In March, the trial court issued an arrest warrant for the PTI chief, citing his continuous absence from the case despite summons for indictment. However, the trial court later canceled the arrest order due to PTI’s insistence on security concerns for Khan’s life.
During the last hearing on March 30, the court granted Khan relief until April 29, despite his absence. In today’s hearing, the court sought opinions from the lawyers on the ECP’s petition for an early hearing. Imran Khan’s lawyers, Khawaja Haris and Faisal Chaudhry argued that an early hearing was unnecessary and a waste of resources. After consulting with the ECP, they maintained that the hearing was postponed to April 29, which later decided it wanted the hearing fixed earlier.
Khawaja Haris claimed that the ECP’s interference in the case was tantamount to influencing the decision, as it aimed to indict the PTI chief.
In contrast, ECP lawyer Amjad Pervaiz argued that their request was in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling that trial courts should conclude cases regarding corrupt practices within three months. He further stated that the ECP’s petition was filed in light of the apex court’s order. Despite these arguments, the court upheld the original hearing date of April 29.
