The indictment of Imran in the Toshakhana case was postponed once more.
The indictment against the head of the PTI has been postponed until February 28 owing to medical concerns.
ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court approved Imran Khan’s exemption from appearing on medical reasons till February 28 on Tuesday, delaying the PTI leader’s indictment in the Toshkhana reference yet again.
Further Sessions In the Toshakhana referral, Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) case of criminal proceedings against the former prime minister.
The PTI leader’s attorney, barrister Gohar, represented Imran in court and asked for his exemption from appearing.
The judge asked why there was yet another exception request as the proceedings got underway and ordered Imran to show up.
The former premier cannot appear in court until after his X-rays, which are scheduled for February 28.
It “does not appear like there will be a trial,” Judge Iqbal commented. The court stated that Imran “will have to come here with the same difficulty” after hearing Gohar describe how Imran arrived at the Lahore High Court (LHC) yesterday.
The judge added that the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) will clarify this for the court and questioned “What kind of injuries are they? Which injury has Imran Khan sustained?”
The ECP’s legal counsel advocated for the creation of a medical board throughout the hearing. Imran did not enter the LHC on a wheelchair, he claimed, but rather on his own.
The court has been “granting exemptions on every date,” the judge stated, noting that the summons had been issued on January 9 for “February 21 (today)”.
The PTI chairman will be present on the following date, according to attorney Gohar, assuming the court allows the exemption for today. Imran isn’t showing up because of security concerns and a doctor’s recommendation, he continued.
The PTI leader’s indictment was then delayed till February 28 after the court granted Imran’s exemption request, stating that “there will be no delay beyond that.”
Imran was told by the judge to guarantee his presence in person at the subsequent hearing.
Toshakhana allusion
The ECP pleaded with the trial court to begin criminal proceedings against the former PM in October of last year. In accordance with provisions 137, 170, and 167 of the Election Act, the district and sessions judge was tasked with handling the case.
According to the written decision, the PTI chairman “intentionally and deliberately” violated the provisions of Sections 137, 167, and 173 of the Elections Act of 2017, as he provided a “false statement” and “incorrect declaration” to the electoral body in the details of his assets and liabilities filed by him for the year 2020–21.
“According to Imran Khan’s account, he had acquired the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees, but the Cabinet Division maintained that the items had a worth of 107.943 million,” the ECP stated in the written verdict.
He had around half the value of the governmental presents in his bank account. Imran Khan was required to disclose the cash and bank account information in his filings, but he did not, according to the commission’s ruling.
