IHC reserves verdict on former PTI chairman's plea challenging Toshakhana conviction
Pakistan
IHC reserves verdict on former PTI chairman’s plea challenging Toshakhana conviction
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday reserved the verdict on the petition of the former chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking suspension of trial verdict in the Toshakhana case.
The two-member bench, headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, presided over the hearing. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier disqualified the former prime minister from holding public office for five years.
Initially, a trial court in Islamabad had found the former PTI chairman guilty of "corrupt practices" for withholding details of state gifts received during his tenure as prime minister, sentencing him to three years in prison.
The ex-PTI chairman had contested this trial verdict in October before the IHC but later sought to withdraw the appeal, citing a pending petition on the same matter in the Lahore High Court (LHC). However, the IHC rejected his withdrawal petition last week.
During today's hearing, the former PM’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, presented arguments, highlighting his inability to attend a hearing at Adiala jail. He said his right to represent his client and expressed being prevented from doing so, even facing ridicule along with his staff.
Chief Justice Farooq inquired if Khosa had contacted the judge of the concerned court about this issue, to which Khosa mentioned being stopped and mocked along with his team.
The ECP's lawyer objected to the plea filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), stating that the LHC had been presented with a petition challenging ECP's disqualification notification.
The ECP's lawyer mentioned that an appeal was lodged on August 8 to suspend the trial in the Toshakhana case, with the verdict announced on August 28. However, a separate petition for suspension of the verdict was filed one month and eight days after the initial verdict.
