Imran Khan challenges trial court order in Toshakhana case
3 Min Read
Khan, who is accused of more than 100 offenses, was given bail by courts in Islamabad and Lahore in a number of cases till June 8.
-
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during a news conference in Islamabad on April 23, 2022 (AP)
The head of PTI and former Pakistani PM Imran Khan contested a trial court ruling on the maintainability of an ECP complaint seeking criminal proceedings against him on the accusation of allegedly hiding the illicit sale of state gifts, commonly known as the Toshakhana case. before the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday.
Khan, who is accused of more than 100 offenses, was given bail by courts in Islamabad and Lahore in a number of cases till June 8., including allegations of terrorism and corruption.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar found the ECP's reference to be maintainable last week.
On May 10, the trial court issued charges against Khan. However, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq stopped the proceedings and recently instructed the court to re-examine the issue in seven days, taking into account eight legal points he posed to determine the viability of the Toshakhana referral.
However, when the judge re-examined the issue, Khan's attorney, Khawaja Haris, did not appear in court for three consecutive days to argue the case. The lawyer did file an appeal with the IHC against the trial court's ruling and claimed that the ECP failed to submit the complaint to the trial court within 120 days.
The ECP did not follow the established procedure in bringing the complaint, according to the appeal, and the IHC was asked to overturn the trial court's ruling.
The appeal will be heard by the IHC's single-member bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, on Wednesday.
Based on supplemental testimony from the detained, the Punjab police implicated Imran Khan in already registered offenses related to the May 9 disturbances.
Khan was granted temporary protective bail for two weeks in seven criminal charges filed in four Punjab towns in connection with the May 9 protests on Tuesday.
Pre-arrest bail
Khan and his attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, stood before a two-judge bench.
The bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, allowed the seven separate petitions of Khan for protective bail in as many cases registered in Rawalpindi, Mianwali, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad.
The LHC issued Khan a notice Tuesday about a federal government appeal contesting a stay order he obtained against an investigation into an audio leak related to the cipher dispute.
The high court stayed a call-up notice issued by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to Khan in the cipher investigation in December.
Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa argued in court on behalf of the government that the FIA had initiated the investigation lawfully and summoned Khan.
Bajwa said Khan lied in court and obtained a stay order against the investigative agency's call-up notice.
Bajwa requested that the court rescind the ruling, which he claimed was issued without hearing the government's side of the story.
