PTI Chairman Imran Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case on Wednesday, a day after he was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.
\nSeparately, an accountability court reserved its verdict on the NAB\u2019s plea seeking 14-day remand of the PTI chairman. Both the hearings were held at the Islamabad Police Lines, which was given the status of a court venue as a \u201cone-time dispensation\u201d late on Monday night, amid tight security.
\nAdditional and District Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar presided over the hearing concerning the Toshakhana case.
\nThe Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sought proceedings under the criminal law against the PTI chief. The ECP had approached the court on the matter on a reference filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year.
\nThe reference alleges that Imran had \u201cdeliberately concealed\u201d details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana \u2014 a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept \u2014 during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.
\nMeanwhile, the accountability court reserved its verdict on the graft watchdog\u2019s request for Imran\u2019s 14-day remand. Judge Mohammad Bashir presided over the hearing.
\nThe PTI chairman\u2019s lawyer, Khawaja Harris, opposed the request and said that the case did not fall within the bureau\u2019s ambit. He further said that NAB had not shared the inquiry report either.
\n\u201cEveryone has the right to a fair trial,\u201d he said, calling for the hearing to be held in an open court. He further said a building had been constructed on the land belonging to Al-Qadir Trust, where people receive education free of cost.
\nHe said that a \u201clegal person\u201d, who is not a public office holder, is meant to be in charge of the trust. Imran is no longer a public office holder, he said.
\nMeanwhile, the NAB prosecutor told the court that Imran was shown the warrant at the time of his arrest. He also assured Imran\u2019s lawyer that the necessary documentation would be provided.
\n\u201cThis is a corruption case which the UK\u2019s National Crime Agency has probed,\u201d he said, adding that the money received was meant to be transferred to the government of Pakistan.
\n\u201cInstead of the government, the funds that were received were transferred to Bahria Town,\u201d he said.
\nOn the other hand, the PTI chief contradicted NAB\u2019s version and told the court that he was shown the arrest warrant when he was taken to the bureau\u2019s office and not at the time of his arrest.
\n\u201cI haven\u2019t gone to the washroom in 24 hours,\u201d he told the court, adding that he wanted his physician, Dr Faisal, to be called in. \u201cI don\u2019t want what happened to Maqsoo chaprasi (peon) to happen to me,\u201d he said, referring to one of the people involved in the Ramazan Sugar Mills case who died in UAE last year.
\n\u201cThey inject you and the person dies slowly,\u201d he alleged.
\nThe court then reserved its verdict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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