No immediate relief to PTI chief as IHC issues notices in Toshakhana case
Pakistan
PTI lawyer requested the judge to send the case to another trial court
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices to all parties in a petition filed by the PTI chairman Imran Khan against the admissibility of the Toshakhana case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq sought replies from parties till next week instead of extending immediate relief to the PTI chief.
The petition was filed against a decision of the trial court that had declared the Toshakhana case, which was initiated against the former prime minister at the request of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), admissible.
During the hearing, PTI lawyer Khawaja Harris argued that the trial court judge had expressed his intent and pleaded the IHC to send the case to another judge.
A day earlier, a district and sessions court discarded PTI chief’s plea for shifting the Toshakhana case to another court.
Additional sessions judge Humayun Dilawar had rejected the plea. PTI chief’s lawyer Gohar Ali Khan filed the plea for exemption of PTI chief’s plea from appearing before the court today. Khan also shared judge Dilawar’s facebook posts with the court.
Khan argued it was a matter of fair trial, adding that all posts were present on facebook irrespective of the fact that they were correct or not. “However it is not right for the court to continue the trial,” he added.
“If a judge uploads such posts, how could he hear the case without bias,” he argued.
Election commission lawyer argued that the court had been maligned with 2014’s content, adding that the plea for transferring the case had already been filed with the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “The only purpose is degrading judge and delaying tactics,” he added.
Judge Dilawar confirmed his facebook account during the hearing but said posts were not uploaded by him. “Gohar Ali Khan could have moved for a judicial inquiry too,” he remarked.
He remarked that Khan trolled as the PTI did and showed posts before the court. Judge Dilawar reserved the verdict on PTI chief’s exemption from appearing today and transfer of case.
Later, he accepted PTI chief’s plea for exemption from appearing and ordered the latter to appear on July 20 in personal capacity. But, the court rejected his plea for transfer of case.
The court expressed reservations on social media campaigns and remarked that the Islamabad High Court could oversee campaigns.
