The registrar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday pointed out that the objections he had raised to an appeal filed by the PTI lawyers for the release of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan on bail after suspending the sentence awarded to him in the Toshakhana-II case had not been addressed despite the passage of seven days.The registrar said that seven days had been given to the petitioner to address these objections.

“But now the time is up,” he said, and added that when the objections persisted, how the petition could be fixed for the hearing. A petition had been filed in the IHC on Saturday, seeking suspension of the sentence handed to Imran Khan in the Toshakhana Bulgari set case on medical grounds. Filed by Barrister Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry Advocate, the petition stated that unless the appeal was decided in the case, the prison term awarded to him be suspended and he be released. 

It was further written in the petition that only 15 per cent vision had been left in the right eye of Imran, and that Dr. Muhammad Arif at PIMS had said that the treatment of his eyes was not possible at Adiala Jail. The petitioners also stated that the former prime minister was already 73 years old, and his prolonged imprisonment could pose serious risks to his health. 

They stated that the special judge central-I Islamabad had on December 20, 2025 awarded 10-year prison term to the PTI founder besides fining him over Rs10 million in the case, which had no justification. The petition read that he was awarded additional seven-year prison term under the law related to the elimination of corruption.

“Sentencing Imran under two laws regardless of the fact that there was only one allegation against him not only constitutes a violation of the law but also falls in the category of double jeopardy.” The petitioners argued that since the former prime minister was not a public servant, therefore, section 409 could not be applied in his case.

“Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi paid 50 per cent of the actual price of the gifts received under the Toshakhana policy and kept these gifts with them,” read the petition. The statements given by the witnesses Sohaib Abbasi and Inamullah Shah were full of contradictions. Similarly, a petition was also filed in the IHC, seeking the suspension of sentence awarded to Imran in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)