Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing more than 140 cases across the country and faces charges like terrorism, violence, blasphemy, corruption and murder. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
In a relief for Imran Khan, a Pakistani High Court on Friday set aside a lower court’s verdict to uphold the maintainability of the Toshakhana corruption case for criminal proceedings against the former Prime Minister.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved the judgment on multiple petitions by Mr. Khan, 70, against his trial by a district court in the case of sale of state gifts.
Announcing the judgement, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Friday also ordered the session court to decide the matter of maintainability again after a fresh hearing of the case.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed Mr. Khan’s plea against trial proceedings in the corruption case in which the former premier is accused of concealing details of the gifts he retained from the state repository, as he withdrew the case.
While dismissing the plea in the Toshakhana case, the apex court observed that the application seeking the transfer of the case to another court was underway in the IHC.
The court expressed the hope that the trial and the IHC will make decisions as per the law.
The Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
The Toshakhana issue over the sale of state gifts received by the former cricketer-turned-politician became a major issue in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Mr. Khan for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
A session court in Islamabad last month declared that the ECP case against Mr. Khan was maintainable, which was challenged in the IHC.
However, the court rejected Mr. Khan’s appeal to transfer the case to another court.
It also issued a notice for next week on the appeal to restore the right of defence. Mr. Khan had filed a petition on Thursday seeking the right to defence in the case.
The court after hearing arguments by the lawyers on Thursday reserved the verdict on the petitions, saying that the judgment will be announced on Friday.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar is hearing the Toshakhana case.
The case is based on a criminal complaint filed by the ECP that Khan had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana. Earlier, the ECP disqualified Khan for hiding the proceeds of the sale.
The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division that stores gifts given to rulers and government officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries.
Mr. Khan is facing more than 140 cases across the country and faces charges like terrorism, violence, blasphemy, corruption and murder.
Mr. Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a U.S.-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.