Toshakhana
ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad today declared the Toshakhana case maintainable against former prime minister Imran Khan.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Islamabad, Humayun Dilawar announced the reserved verdict. The hearing of the case will begin on July 12. The court has summoned witnesses on the same day.
Importantly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified the former prime minister in October 2022 in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution. The ECP decided on the basis of Khan’s “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
Meanwhile, a trial court rejected the petition of Khan in May this year, who challenged the maintainability of the reference.
The court also indicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case.
The PTI chief then challenged the trial court’s decision before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which sent the case back to the trial court for re-examination within seven days.
Khan has not appeared before the court for the hearings that have taken place after the IHC’s orders despite Judge Dilawar’s repeated summons.
In today’s hearing, ECP’s lawyer said that former PM Khan has been seeking exemptions from hearing and using “delaying” tactics.
The judge noted that the IHC has granted such a “big relief” to the PTI chief.
At this, the former prime minister’s lawyer Gohar Khan said the high court did not provide relief; instead, it sent the matter back to the trial court for re-examination. “And I don’t agree with this.”
Talking to journalists after the hearing, Gohar said he was upset with the decision and called it the “murder of justice”.
Imran Khan named in May 9 riots cases
Gujranwala and Faisalabad police booked PTI Chairman Imran Khan in two more cases of riots on May 9.
In Gujranwala, Imran Khan was named in a case of murder and terrorism. Police named him as a suspect in the supplementary statement in the case under Section 109. On May 9, the arsonists attacked the Rahwali check-post. The Rahwali Cantt Police registered a case.
In the attack, the rioters killed a volunteer policeman and injured 18 people.
Importantly, on May 10, the local police registered a case against the local leadership of the PTI.
However, the police nominated the PTI chairman in this case.
Meanwhile, police registered another case in Faisalabad and included the name of Imran Khan in the supplementary report in the May 9 incident cases.
PTI chairman was also named in the attack on the office of a sensitive organization and at the home of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in Faisalabad.
Imran Khan named in GHQ and other riots in Rawalpindi
Moreover, Imran Khan has been named as a suspect in the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed regarding the May 9 riots and the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the military.
The FIRs were lodged at the RA Bazar and New Town police stations, linking the former prime minister to the cases of the May 9 riots, damage to state properties, and the GHQ assault.
