Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday filed a petition in a district and sessions court seeking adjournment of the Toshakhana case for five days.The former prime minister’s lawyer Ali Bokhari told the judge that his client was coming to Islamabad from Lahore as he was due to appear before two other courts in the Judicial Complex. He said his client would not be able to attend the hearing of the Toshakhana case due to shortage of time.

At this, the judge expressed outrage stating: “Why he [Imran Khan] cannot appear before court when he is attending hearings in the Judicial Complex?”. He remarked the PTI chief should first come here for indictment and could go anywhere afterwards. ECP lawyer Saad Hassan also opposed the adjournment plea, saying the suspect did not want to appear before the court. Later, the judge adjourned the hearing for later today and ordered Imran Khan to appear before him.

Last year, the top electoral body had sent the reference to the district and sessions court under Sections 137, 170, and 167 of the Election Act, seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against Imran Khan for incorrect declaration of assets for 2017-2018 and 2018-19. The ECP, in the petition, has called for a three-year jail term and imposing a fine on the PTI chief.

On Dec 15, the court admitted the commission’s plea against Mr Khan. In its three-page verdict, the court noted that prima facie, the former premier didn't mention the details of the gifts he acquired from the Toshakhana. In August last, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) moved the ECP against Imran Khan over not filing the details of gifts he obtained from Toshakhana for Rs21.5 million. Later in October, the ECP, in a unanimous decision, found the former prime minister guilty of “corrupt practices” and disqualified him from being a member of parliament.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP