Amid vocal objections from lawyers representing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamabad High Court (IHC) deferred the hearing of PTI leader Imran Khan’s appeal against the Toshakhana verdict on Friday. This decision came as Advocate Amjad Pervaiz, the lawyer representing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), was absent due to health reasons.
The previous day, the IHC had declined to revoke a trial court’s ruling that sentenced the PTI chairman to a three-year prison term for misrepresenting his assets and liabilities. This was despite the Supreme Court’s reservations about potential flaws in the verdict handed down by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar on August 5.
Tensions Rise in Courtroom as PTI Lawyers Protest and Khosa Walks Out
The hearing resumed today under the leadership of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri. With the ECP’s attorney unavailable, his assistant sought a delay, citing the lawyer’s medical advice to rest for two days. Latif Khosa, representing Imran Khan, objected, pointing out that his client had been in detention for 20 days and suggesting that the junior lawyer represent the ECP. In response to Khosa’s urging to suspend the punishment, CJ Farooq emphasized the court’s role in overseeing the system and scheduled the next hearing for Monday.
Khosa declared that they would not attend, to which Farooq replied that the case would be determined based on existing records. As tensions escalated, Khosa left the courtroom, and the atmosphere became further charged with PTI-supporting lawyers shouting slogans in the courtroom. The hearing is set to resume on Monday, August 28.
