ISLAMABAD, Jul 08 (NNI): A District and Sessions Court in Islamabad has rejected the petition of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana criminal case and declared the case admissible.
Additional Sessions Judge Hamayun Dilawar announced the reserved verdict on Toshakhana case on Saturday.
The court summoned the evidence of the case on July 12.
During the hearing, the judge expressed his indignation and remarked that such a show of restraint had never been displayed in the judicial history.
PTI Chairman’s lawyer Gohar Ali Khan’s junior lawyer Salman Ayub and Election Commission’s lawyer Saad Hassan appeared before the court.
When the lawyer Gohar Ali Khan did not reach the court until the start of the hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar adjourned the hearing and remarked that the court was showing restraint in this case, as had never been shown in the judicial history. He asked the lawyer to present his arguments after the break at 11:30am, otherwise he would pronounce the judgment in the case.
On this occasion, once again an application seeking exemption from court appearance was filed by the lawyer on behalf of the PTI chairman. It was opposed by the ECP lawyer.
After the break, the court again resumed hearing of the case.
The PTI lawyer Barrister Gohar Ali Khan requested the court to adjourn the hearing till Monday and he would present his arguments in the next hearing.
However, the court directed Election Commission’s lawyer Amjad Pervez to present his arguments. On which, the ECP lawyer read out the relevant part of the decision of the Islamabad High Court.
He told the court that the Election Commission made the order after fulfilling all the requirements to start legal proceedings.
The court again announced a break on the request of the ECP lawyer.
Later, when the hearing resumed, the ECP lawyer gave his arguments.
After hearing his arguments, the court reserved its verdict on the admissibility of the Toshakhana criminal case, terminating the right of the PTI chairman to be heard.
The court reserved the verdict without hearing the PTI chief’s counsel.
Earlier, the court gave time to Imran Khan’s lawyer, but he did not give arguments and took the position that since Khawaja Haris was busy and could not come today, the court should give time till Monday.
While announcing verdict, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar rejected the petition of PTI Chief Imran Khan and declared the Toshakhana criminal case against him admissible.
The court decided to start the trial against the PTI chief from July 12 and called the prosecution witnesses.
It should be noted that Imran Khan had requested to declare the Toshakhana criminal proceedings case inadmissible.
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday overturned the ruling of a sessions court wherein it had rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition to declare the Toshkhana case inadmissible, directing the sessions court to consider the ex-PM’s plea as pending and decide it afresh within seven days.
The IHC also observed that the sessions court had left the “issue undecided and dismissed the application of the petitioner with scanty reasons which left the main legal issues undecided or unresolved”.
It added that it would be only proper for the trial court to decide the application afresh after hearing the parties with detailed reasons keeping in view the provisions of Article 10-A of the Constitution.
Imran Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case on May 10, as Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar had dismissed his objections regarding the admissibility of the case. NNI
