A district and sessions court in federal capital will hear the Toshakhana case against former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) chairman today Thursday.Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar would take up the case as he has summoned the PTI chief to attend the hearing. The court has also issued notices to district election commissioner and legal teams of both sides in this regard. The sessions court fixed the case for hearing after the Islamabad High Court (IHC), earlier this week, nullified the decision of the trial court that had turned down the PTI chairman’s plea challenging the admissibility of Toshakhana case.

 IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had announced the verdict reserved on June 23 after hearing arguments on the petition of the former prime minister against the trial court’s ruling. The chief justice had sent the matter back to the trial court, ordering it to again hear the arguments of the PTI. He had given the trial court seven days to decide on the PTI chairman's plea in the Toshakhana case. The petition had been filed after the PTI chief was indicted in the case on May 10. Two days after the high court had stopped criminal proceedings in the Toshakhana case.

 On May 5, Islamabad’s Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar had announced that charges will be framed against the PTI chairman on May 10 in the Toshakhana case. During the hearing, the former PM’s lawyer had argued on two pleas stating that the ECP's petition was "non-maintainable" and that the sessions court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter. However, the judge rejected both the requests and summoned the PTI chief in person for the indictment. On May 10, Judge Humayun Dilawar indicted him during court proceedings that were held at the guest house of the Police Lines headquarters at H-11.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP