A session court in Islamabad has accepted the plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for personal exemption from the Toshakhana case hearing.
The court has ordered his appearance on Friday, granting him a day-long exemption.
Imran Khan’s counsel, Gohar Ali Khan, informed the court that his client was due to appear before the Lahore High Court and requested the hearing to be scheduled after July 10.
However, the court instructed Imran Khan’s counsel to ensure his presence in court the following day.
The session court took up the case after the Islamabad High Chief Justice Aamer Farooq overturned the local court’s ruling against Imran Khan’s challenge to the maintainability of the Toshakhana case.
The chief justice remanded the case back to the trial court, directing it to re-examine the matter within seven days and consider eight legal questions framed by him to determine the reference’s maintainability.
During the hearing, Gohar Ali Khan expressed surprise that the case was fixed for today, as it was originally scheduled for July 8.
The judge noted the lack of coordination between Imran Khan’s counsels and emphasized the need to reach a decision in the case by July 10.
The judge adjourned the hearing and directed both Imran Khan and his counsel, Khawaja Haris, to appear before the court on the following day.
The Toshakhana case, filed by ruling party lawmakers, is based on a reference filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The reference alleges that Imran Khan deliberately concealed details of gifts he retained from the Toshakhana during his tenure as the prime minister, as well as proceeds from their reported sales.
Imran Khan has previously faced legal issues related to the retention of gifts, leading to his disqualification by the ECP.
The Toshakhana is a repository for presents given to government officials by foreign dignitaries, and the rules require reporting of these gifts to the Cabinet Division.
The ECP concluded on October 21, 2022, that Imran Khan had made false statements and incorrect declarations regarding the gifts. Subsequently, the ECP approached the Islamabad session court with a copy of the reference, seeking criminal proceedings against Imran Khan for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received during his tenure as prime minister.
