Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has indicated that the Supreme Court will await the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman’s appeal against his Toshakhana case conviction before taking any action. The PTI chairman has filed a petition against the IHC ruling, requesting the court to declare the case against him non-maintainable.
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A three-member Supreme Court bench, including CJP Bandial, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, heard the case. The hearing focused on the former prime minister’s challenge to the IHC’s decision to remand the Toshakhana case to Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who convicted the PTI chairman.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, argued that his client was not allowed to present witnesses during the trial and that six MNAs had submitted a reference seeking the PTI chief’s disqualification. However, ECP’s lawyer, Amjad Pervez, claimed the witnesses Imran Khan wanted to present were ‘irrelevant.’ The CJP noted, “Prima facie, there are shortcomings in the trial court verdict” and stated that the court would wait for the IHC hearing before proceeding.
On August 5, a trial court in Islamabad found Imran Khan guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison, disqualifying him from contesting elections for five years. The case revolves around allegations that Imran failed to disclose details of state gifts received during his time as prime minister.
