The police have arrested Imran Khan after conviction in Thoshakhana case.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 5th, 2023) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) legal team has taken action against the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) recent ruling in the Toshakhana case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
On Saturday, the PTI's legal representatives approached the Supreme Court to challenge the IHC's decision not to transfer the case to another court, following the rejection of Imran Khan's plea.
The Islamabad High Court had offered temporary relief to Imran Khan by declaring the sessions court's verdict on the maintainability of the Toshakhana case in his favor.
However, the court turned down his request to move the case to a different court.
In response, Advocate Khawaja Haris, representing Imran Khan, filed a formal application with the Supreme Court, attaching a diary number to the petition.
This is the third time Imran Khan's legal team has approached the Supreme Court regarding this case. The PTI chairman is seeking the annulment of the High Court's order, which required him to appear before Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar on August 4.
Previously, Imran Khan's lawyers had submitted eight petitions in the IHC, challenging Judge Dilawar's ruling on the maintainability of the case. They also sought a transfer of the case to another court, arguing that the judge was showing bias and hurrying the proceedings.
In the new petition filed with the Supreme Court, Imran Khan's legal team requested a stay order on the trial until the court decides on their fresh plea. They argued that the trial judge had prematurely declared the Toshakhana case as arguable, and the IHC had erred in sending the case back to Judge Dilawar.
The petition questioned how a judge who had already declared the case maintainable could rehear it fairly. Imran Khan's legal team contended that the latest order by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq had violated the petitioner's fundamental rights.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had dismissed Imran Khan's previous petition against the trial proceedings in the Toshakhana case after he withdrew it.
The Toshakhana case revolves around the rules governing the "treasure house," where government officials can keep low-worth gifts and pay a reduced fee to the government for extravagant items. Allegations emerged that Imran Khan, during his premiership from 2018 to 2022, bought gifts he received as Prime Minister at low prices and sold them at substantial profits in the open market.
The gifts in question, worth over Rs140 million ($635,000), included watches from a royal family, allegedly sold by Khan's aides in Dubai. Among the valuable items were seven wristwatches, six made by Rolex, and the most expensive being a "Master Graff limited edition" valued at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000).
The Election Commission had previously disqualified Imran Khan under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
