PTI chief’s petition claims unfair trial, hasty judgment, and disregard for IHC’s directions.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a petition with the Supreme Court, Today, requesting the court to declare Additional and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar’s verdict in the Toshakhana case as “null and void.”
The party filed the petition under Article 184(2) of the Constitution, seeking a rehearing of the Toshakhana case. The grounds for this request were that the PTI chief had not received a fair trial.
The petition stated, “A fundamental right under Article 10A, The Right to a Fair Trial, has been denied to Mr Imran Khan the former Prime Minister of Pakistan in relation to his conviction in the Toshakhana case.”
On August 5, Khan was arrested. He was taken to Attock jail following his conviction by the district and sessions court in the federal capital. He was found guilty of corrupt practices related to the state gift depository, though he denies these allegations.
ADSJ Dilawar sentenced Khan to three years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs100,000. Additionally, an arrest warrant was issued for his immediate arrest.
The petition contended that the judgment was passed hastily, declared in Khan’s absence, and showed “complete disregard” for the directions of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
“That order of the Honourable Islamabad High Court dated 04.08.2023 distinctly remanded back the issue of maintainability to the learned Additional Sessions judge with the directions to decide it afresh.”
“However, undermining this directive, the Learned judge bypassed any fresh decision-making and dismissed the application in violating haste and without objective evaluation of the case, subverting principles of natural justice,” the petition stated.
Earlier today, the party filed a petition with the IHC. The petition requested that Khan be transferred to Adiala jail and provided with better or A-Class facilities. The reason cited was that he was “accustomed to a better mode of life.”