Politics

Imran Khan gets relief in Toshakhana case

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Islamabad court accepts Imran Khan’s plea for exemption.
Hearing of Toshakhana case adjourned till April 29.
Khan’s lawyers challenged admissibility of Toshakhana case.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was granted relief in the Toshakhana case by an Islamabad local court as he skipped the proceedings once again on Thursday.

The former prime minister is facing charges of corrupt practices related to the state gift depository — the allegation he denies.

In October last year, Khan was barred from holding public office after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) found him guilty of unlawfully selling gifts from foreign dignitaries and heads of state.

The trial court had issued an arrest warrant for the PTI chief earlier this month due to his continuous absence, despite summons for indictment in the case.

The order of arrest, however, was canceled by the trial court a few days later, over PTI’s insistence that Khan’s life was in danger and he needed security. The court had adjourned the hearing till today (March 30) and ordered Khan to ensure his presence.

Additional sessions judge Zafar Iqbal of a district and sessions court in Islamabad was presiding over the hearing.

At the outset of the hearing, Khan’s lawyers filed a request for exemption from today’s hearing, maintaining that there was still a strike at the Islamabad Bar which had been going on for the last three days.

At this, the Election Commission of Pakistan’s lawyer, Amjad Pervez, said that Imran Khan is not part of the lawyers’ strike.

“At the trial stage, the presence of the suspect in the courtroom is required. Imran Khan should come even if his lawyers want to go on strike,” he argued.

Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Harris responded that the PTI chief’s life is in danger and that the government has withdrawn security from him. “The chief justice of Islamabad has asked for a report on the withdrawal of Imran Khan’s security,” he said, arguing that an appearance in court can also be made through a video link.

“So the request for exemption from the presence of Imran Khan should be approved, however, others will continue with the court proceedings,” he said.

After the arguments of the lawyers, the judge asked the parties to help the court decide on the hearing through joint consultation. At this, PTI chief’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that the next hearing of the Toshakhana case should be held after Ramadan. “Is there a hurry?” he asked.

The judge instructed the concerned parties to consult, saying the court had already convened at 8:30am.

Harris proposed to adjourn the hearing for two weeks, at which the court adjourned further proceedings till April 29 and accepted Imran Khan’s request for exemption from today’s attendance.

Apart from this, a plea has also been filed on behalf of Imran Khan challenging the admissibility of the Toshakhana case and arguments for it will be given at the next hearing.

What is the Toshakhana case?

Under the rules governing “Toshakhana” — a Persian word meaning “treasure house” — government officials can keep gifts if they have a low worth, while they must pay a dramatically reduced fee to the government for extravagant items.

The Toshakhana is under a microscope ever since the emergence of the allegations that Imran Khan purchased the gifts he received as prime minister at throwaway rates and sold them off in the open market for staggering profits.

The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million ($635,000).

The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who have alleged previously that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai.

The gifts included seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the most expensive a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000).

The election commission’s order had said Imran stood disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.

Following the order, the election watchdog moved the Islamabad sessions court and sought criminal proceedings against him — and the PTI chief has missed several hearings.

Latest News

Nawaz Sharif departs for a five-day personal visit to China.

Published

19 hours ago

Farwa

Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and a former prime minister, departed for China on Monday night for a five-day private visit.

Nawaz Sharif is visiting China, escorted by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Nawaz Sharif reportedly planned to see Chinese company owners as well as discuss the Punjab province’s development projects. During his visit in China, he will also have a medical examination.

In addition, the fact that Nawaz and his party chose China for his first overseas trip after he returned to Pakistan in October of last year shows how much weight the Asian superpower holds.

Eight other Chinese companies were reportedly prepared to start working right away, while 16 Chinese companies had expressed interest in the Nawaz Sharif IT City, which is the brainchild of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who has plans for similar projects in all of the province’s major cities.

Remarkably, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s scheduled visit to China ahead of his anticipated talks with Chinese authorities next month coincides with the elder Sharif’s visit.

Dar’s presence alongside Nawaz simultaneously underscores the party leadership’s confidence in him and serves as a reminder of why he was chosen to be foreign minister.

The fact that this visit was organized in the wake of the recent terror assault in Shangla on Chinese engineers involved in the Dasu hydroelectric Project, however, may provide some insight into the significance of this visit.

That was followed by Pakistan’s resolute pledge to deal harshly with those groups that have been attacking Chinese citizens in an effort to undermine the cordial relations between the two countries.

Latest News

The creation of a provincial enforcement authority is approved by the PunjabCM.

Published

20 hours ago

Farwa

The creation of a provincial enforcement authority in Punjab has received clearance from Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab.

District and tehsil-level provincial enforcement authority was presented to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during a meeting that she convened.

Maryam gave her approval for the authority to be established and gave the order to begin the legislative procedure right now.

In every district and tehsil in Punjab, she stated, enforcement authorities will be constituted. According to her, a director-general will be appointed in addition to the chief secretary leading the provincial enforcement authority.

The deputy commissioner will lead the district enforcement authority, while the assistant commissioner will lead the tehsil enforcement authority.

Tasks specific to encroachments on government lands will be carried out by enforcement agencies. Additionally, the authority will have the ability to investigate and prosecute cases of overpricing, hoarding, and encroachment on government territory.

The tehsil enforcement unit will oversee the establishment of a police station and special force at the tehsil level. To be appointed in the tehsil enforcement authority are a unit in command, investigation officers, enforcement officers, and constables.

In addition to carrying out legal duties, the tehsil enforcement unit will be able to file charges, conduct investigations, and make arrests. Additionally, for monitoring purposes, the offices of the district and provincial enforcement authorities will be set up.

In six months, the province’s enforcement agencies are to be activated, under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s directive.

Latest News

PTI announces a public meeting in Karachi.

Published

20 hours ago

Farwa

Haleem Adil Sheikh said in a statement released here that the decision to reschedule the public event was made during the party’s political committee meeting. He said that instead of being conducted on April 28, the PTI’s public meeting would now take place on May 5 next to Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum.

According to the head of PTI Sindh, his party had asked the Deputy Commissioner East for permission to hold the meeting.

He claimed that the PTI filed a lawsuit in the Sindh High Court after the administration refused to grant them a certificate of non-objection. The hearing for their case is scheduled for April 26, according to Haleem Adil Sheikh.

The PTI Sindh head stated, “Hopefully, we will receive permission from the SHC to hold a Jalsa (public gathering) in Karachi.”

He said that the PTI’s popularity is the reason the Sindh administration is “afraid” and that’s why they haven’t received clearance from the provincial government.

In response to allegations of election tampering and mandate theft in the general elections, the PTI declared a nationwide protest.