ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
The Islamabad High Court (IHC)
on Tuesday suspended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's
sentence awarded to him in the Toshakhana case.Former prime minister Imran Khan at Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The IHC announced the short
verdict that it reserved a day earlier wherein it directed the authorities to
release the PTI chief on bail.
The court said it would
elaborate on the reasons for the suspension of the sentence in the detailed
verdict to be issued later.
According to sources, the PTI
chief has been directed to submit a surety bond of Rs100,000 against the bail.
The verdict comes as a major
legal victory for Khan who had challenged his conviction and sentence awarded
to him in the Toshakhana case.
Earlier this month, a district
and sessions court in the federal capital had sentenced Khan to three years in
prison and imposed a fine of Rs100,000, after finding him guilty of corrupt
practices related to the state gift repository — in a move that barred him from
contesting elections due later this year.
The former prime minister, who
has been disqualified from holding any public office due to the conviction, was
arrested immediately after the trial court's ruling on August 5 and has since
been incarcerated in Attock jail.
Subsequently, Khan petitioned
the high court against the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ)
Humayun Dilawar decision to convict him in the Toshakhana case filed by
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
On Monday, a division bench
comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri
concluded the proceedings on the plea and reserved the verdict.
Before the conclusion of
proceedings, the counsel representing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
Amjad Pervaiz presented his arguments opposing the pleas by the PTI chief.
The PTI counsel Sardar Latif
Khan Khosa had focused on three aspects — suspension of his client’s short
sentence, jurisdictional defect and improper authorisation — to defend the
plea.
However, the electoral body's
lawyer termed the objections to the maintainability of the ECP’s complaint as
baseless during Monday's hearing.
He claimed that the witnesses
presented by the defence were not relevant as these were tax consultants,
whereas the complainant accused the ex-PM of submitting a false declaration of
assets.
He also objected to the
request for suspension of Khan’s sentence, saying this is not a matter of right
but the discretion of the court which could be exercised judiciously.
Ahead of the Toshakhana
verdict, the PTI filed a new plea seeking the court's directive to stop
authorities from arresting Khan in any case.
The plea was filed in the IHC
by PTI chief's lawyer Salman Safdar.
The petition filed in the
court to restrict the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National
Accountability Bureau and police from arresting Khan.
What is Toshakhana?
Established in 1974,
Toshakhana — a Persian word meaning "treasure house" — is a
department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores
precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by
heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill
gesture.
It has valuables ranging from
bulletproof cars, gold-plated souvenirs and expensive paintings to watches,
ornaments, rugs and swords.
Under the rules governing
Toshakhana, government officials can keep gifts if they have a low worth, while
they must pay a dramatically reduced fee to the government for extravagant
items.
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