- Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s plea against the Islamabad High Court’s decision.
- Imran Khan’s legal team contends that the case’s remand to a different trial judge by the IHC Chief Justice .
- The appeal highlights concerns about the trial court’s proceedings.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to review the appeal filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, challenging the order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the Toshakhana case.
The IHC had remanded the case to lower court judge Humayun Dilawar, who had earlier sentenced the ousted prime minister to three years in prison. The panel hearing the plea includes Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel.
Imran Khan’s plea before the Supreme Court aims to annul the proceedings that were transferred to the trial court for the graft case. The appeal argues that the IHC Chief Justice, Aamer Farooq, misinterpreted the submissions and decided to remand the case to a trial judge other than ASJ Humayun Dilawar.
The appeal contends that the IHC Chief Justice made this decision without giving due consideration to the arguments on the merits of the application for transferring the case. It further criticized the trial court proceedings under Judge Humayun Dilawar, describing them as “cursory and shoddy,” claiming that the court did not adequately address the key points raised by the petitioner’s legal counsel.
Moreover, the counsel representing Imran Khan asserted that the IHC’s judgment violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner.
Earlier this month, Judge Dilawar of the Accountability Court for Special Cases had sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs1 lac in the Toshakhana case.
The court’s ruling stated that a criminal case had been established against the former prime minister, leading to his disqualification for five years. The case revolved around allegations of wrongdoing related to Toshakhana, resulting in the aforementioned sentence and disqualification.
The upcoming Supreme Court hearing holds significance as it will determine whether the proceedings of the Toshakhana case should remain with Judge Humayun Dilawar or be reconsidered based on the arguments presented by Imran Khan’s legal team. The appeal aims to address concerns related to the fairness and legitimacy of the trial process and its impact on the fundamental rights of the petitioner.