Islamabad court to indict Imran Khan in Toshakhana case on Feb 7
Pakistan
Islamabad court to indict Imran Khan in Toshakhana case on Feb 7
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan will be indicted in the Toshakhana reference case on Feb 7, announced a district and sessions court in the capital city on Tuesday.
Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal is hearing the case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for criminal proceedings against the PTI chief for allegedly misleading the officials about gifts he received from the foreign dignitaries during his tenure as prime minister of the country.
At the outset of the hearing, the court fixed Feb 7 for indictment of Mr Khan in the case. The judge has also summoned the PTI chief in his personal capacity on Tuesday but he would skip the hearing as he is recovering from wounds in Lahore after an assassination attempt in Wazirabad.
Mr Khan’s lawyer said he had submitted a medical certificate of his client during the previous hearing. However, the ECP counsel pleaded the judge to issue arrest warrant for the PTI chairman for not appearing before court.
Read More: Imran Khan decides to withdraw petition from IHC against disqualification in Toshakhana case
Last year, the top electoral body had sent the reference to the district and sessions court under Sections 137, 170, and 167 of the Election Act, seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against Imran Khan for incorrect declaration of assets for 2017-2018 and 2018-19. The ECP, in the petition, has called for a three-year jail term and imposing a fine on the PTI chief.
On Dec 15, the court admitted the commission’s plea against Mr Khan. In its three-page verdict, the court noted that prima facie, the former premier didn t mention the details of the gifts he acquired from the Toshakhana. In August last, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) moved the ECP against Imran Khan over not filing the details of gifts he obtained from Toshakhana for Rs21.5 million.
Later in October, the ECP, in a unanimous decision, found the former prime minister guilty of “corrupt practices” and disqualified him from being a member of parliament.
