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.
\nAdditional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal \u2014 hearing the Toshakhana case against the PTI chairman \u2014 said on Tuesday that it seemed that former prime minister Imran Khan would not appear in court today as well.
\nImran 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.
\nHe is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana \u2014 a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept.
\nImran 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.
\nThe judge had then issued arrest warrants for Imran and adjourned the hearing till March 7.
\nOn 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.
\nAs the proceedings commenced today, Imran\u2019s junior lawyer Sardar Masroof Khan appeared in court. Prosecution\u2019s Mohsin Shahnawaz and the Election Commission of Pakistan\u2019s counsel Saad Hasan were also in attendance.
\nAt the outset of the hearing, the judge asked the PTI chief\u2019s lawyer if his client won\u2019t appear in court today as well to which Masroof replied that he was unaware of Imran\u2019s appearance in court.
\n\u201cBut his senior legal team will be arriving by 10am,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cDo you not have any information regarding Imran\u2019s appearance in court?\u201d ADSJ Iqbal inquired. \u201cIs his guarantor not in court?\u201d
\nHere, the PTI lawyer said that a notice could not be issued to the guarantor because the legal procedure had yet to be completed.
\nAt that, the judge said that the guarantor was bound to ensure that the former prime minister appeared in court.
\nHowever, the ECP\u2019s counsel said that the court should be informed in the morning if Imran had plans of appearing before the court. \u201cWhy do you waste time?\u201d he added.
\nWhen the hearing resumed, another PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat appeared in court and informed the judge that Imran\u2019s legal team was at the Islamabad High Court.
\n\u201cI will submit my power of attorney in court within a day or two,\u201d he said and then requested that the hearing be adjourned till next week.
\nADSJ Iqbal said that the proceedings were underway for Imran\u2019s summons.
\n\u201cImran Khan is not feeling well \u2026 he has a disability,\u201d Marwat contended, adding that a \u201ccircus\u201d regarding his client\u2019s arrest was being seen by everyone across the world.
\nFor his part, ECP\u2019s Hasan urged the court to issue a notice to the PTI chief\u2019s guarantor and cancel his surety. He also requested that the hearing be adjourned till March 9.
\nAt that, Marwat revealed that Imran had to appear before the IHC on March 9 at any cost. \u201cI have been told that it will be easier for Imran to appear in F-8 Katcheri next week,\u201d he added.
\nHere, the judge remarked: \u201cSo this means Imran won\u2019t appear in court even on March 9.\u201d
\nADSJ Iqbal noted that Imran\u2019s lawyer was not present in court today, remarking that he was waiting for a decision from the IHC in the case.
\n\u201cBut 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\u2019t appear today as well.\u201d
\nThe judge further remarked that the law was equal for all, highlighting that all the legal requirements would be fulfilled during the case.
\nMeanwhile, 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.
\nHere, ADSJ Iqbal said that not a single case had been dragged on for long in the court. \u201cImran Khan appeared before other courts but not the sessions court even though his exemption requests were repeatedly accepted,\u201d he added.
\nThe judge then instructed Imran\u2019s lawyer Marwat to submit his power of attorney in court and adjourned the hearing till 2pm.
\nThe 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 \u201cfalse statements and incorrect declarations\u201d regarding the gifts.
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