Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan is yet to appear before an Islamabad sessions court in the Toshakhana case despite a non-bailable arrest warrant against him.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal — hearing the Toshakhana case against the PTI chairman — said on Tuesday that it seemed that former prime minister Imran Khan would not appear in court today as well.
Imran Khan, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has thrice skipped indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court in the case.
He is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept.
Imran was set to be indicted in the Toshakhana Reference on Feb 28, but his lawyer had requested the judge that he be exempted from the hearing because he had to appear in several other courts. His indictment was deferred twice before.
The judge had then issued arrest warrants for Imran and adjourned the hearing till March 7.
On March 5, an Islamabad police team was sent to Lahore to arrest Imran with the court summons on Sunday. However, it returned empty-handed after the PTI chief evaded the arrest.
As the proceedings commenced today, Imran’s junior lawyer Sardar Masroof Khan appeared in court. Prosecution’s Mohsin Shahnawaz and the Election Commission of Pakistan’s counsel Saad Hasan were also in attendance.
At the outset of the hearing, the judge asked the PTI chief’s lawyer if his client won’t appear in court today as well to which Masroof replied that he was unaware of Imran’s appearance in court.
“But his senior legal team will be arriving by 10am,” he said.
“Do you not have any information regarding Imran’s appearance in court?” ADSJ Iqbal inquired. “Is his guarantor not in court?”
Here, the PTI lawyer said that a notice could not be issued to the guarantor because the legal procedure had yet to be completed.
At that, the judge said that the guarantor was bound to ensure that the former prime minister appeared in court.
However, the ECP’s counsel said that the court should be informed in the morning if Imran had plans of appearing before the court. “Why do you waste time?” he added.
When the hearing resumed, another PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat appeared in court and informed the judge that Imran’s legal team was at the Islamabad High Court.
“I will submit my power of attorney in court within a day or two,” he said and then requested that the hearing be adjourned till next week.
ADSJ Iqbal said that the proceedings were underway for Imran’s summons.
“Imran Khan is not feeling well … he has a disability,” Marwat contended, adding that a “circus” regarding his client’s arrest was being seen by everyone across the world.
For his part, ECP’s Hasan urged the court to issue a notice to the PTI chief’s guarantor and cancel his surety. He also requested that the hearing be adjourned till March 9.
At that, Marwat revealed that Imran had to appear before the IHC on March 9 at any cost. “I have been told that it will be easier for Imran to appear in F-8 Katcheri next week,” he added.
Here, the judge remarked: “So this means Imran won’t appear in court even on March 9.”
ADSJ Iqbal noted that Imran’s lawyer was not present in court today, remarking that he was waiting for a decision from the IHC in the case.
“But if the situation remains the same, we can take a decision. Imran has not even once appeared in court in person. And it is evident that he won’t appear today as well.”
The judge further remarked that the law was equal for all, highlighting that all the legal requirements would be fulfilled during the case.
Meanwhile, Shahnawaz said that the case was pending in the court for the past six months and the PTI chief had not once appeared before the judge.
Here, ADSJ Iqbal said that not a single case had been dragged on for long in the court. “Imran Khan appeared before other courts but not the sessions court even though his exemption requests were repeatedly accepted,” he added.
The judge then instructed Imran’s lawyer Marwat to submit his power of attorney in court and adjourned the hearing till 2pm.
The reference, which alleges that Imran had not shared details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana (during his time as the prime minister) and proceeds from their reported sales, was filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year. On October 21, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had concluded that the former premier had indeed made “false statements and incorrect declarations” regarding the gifts.
Imran Khan skips hearing again in Toshakhana case
