The sentencing and three-year prison sentence of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been suspended today
Islamabad:
The Islamabad High Court today suspended the conviction and three-year sentence of Imran Khan in the Toshakhana corruption case and ordered his release, much to the relief of the former imprisoned Pakistani prime minister.
A divisional bench comprising Islamabad High Court (IHC), Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced the long-awaited verdict, which was set aside on Monday.
“The decision of the court (has been) suspended by IHC,” Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party said in a brief WhatsApp message.
“The copy of the verdict will be available shortly, all we can say now is that [Imran’s] request has been approved,” Judge Farooq said.
Khan’s legal affairs assistant, Naeem Haider Panjotha, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The Court of Justice has accepted our request, suspended the sentence and said a detailed decision will be made later.” The judges reserved the verdict on Monday after the rival lawyers completed their pleas on the suspension of the three-year sentence imposed by Judge Humayun Dilawar on August 5.
A court in Islamabad sentenced the 70-year-old Pakistani chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf to three years in prison on August 5.
The cricketer turned politician was convicted on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts he and his family acquired during his 2018-2022 term in office. He has also been banned from politics for five years, preventing him from running in the upcoming elections.
Khan challenged his conviction within days and the IHC began a formal hearing on August 22. The case was postponed on Friday after the lawyer of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to appear due to illness.
Imran Khan’s lawyer Latif Khosa concluded his plea on Thursday, claiming the verdict was rushed and riddled with flaws.
He also urged the court to overturn the verdict, but the defense team demanded more time to complete its arguments.
In addition, a three-member panel of the Supreme Court chaired by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Judge Jamal Khan Mandokhail, will also resume consideration of petitions against the Toshakhana case.
Earlier on Wednesday, after hearing several petitions against the Toshakhana case, the Supreme Court found that there were “deficiencies” in the judgment of the hearing court.
The panel noted that the verdict was rushed and that the accused was not given a right of defense. “On the face of it, there are flaws in the court’s verdict,” the chief justice said.
The Supreme Court had also stated that it would await the IHC hearing before ruling. The hearing resumed on Thursday, but was postponed without setting a date after being told the IHC was holding a hearing.
The Toshakhana case was brought to the ECP by lawmakers from the ruling party in 2022 alleging that Khan concealed the proceeds from the sale of state gifts.
The ECP disqualified Khan first and then filed criminal proceedings in a session court which convicted him, and then Imran Khan was sent to prison.
Khan is currently in Attock jail following his arrest from his home in Lahore.
The case alleges that during his time as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, Khan “deliberately hid details of the gifts he kept” from the Toshakhana — a repository that stores gifts handed to government officials from foreign officials. sale.
According to the Toshakhana Rules, gifts/presents and other similar materials received by persons subject to these Rules must be reported to the Cabinet Department.
According to reports, Imran Khan received 58 gifts worth more than Rs 140 million from world leaders during his three and a half year span and kept all of them either by paying a negligible amount or even without any payment at all.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published through a syndicated feed.)
