ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to appear before it on July 31 in the Toshakhana case for recording his statement under Section 342 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, while hearing the case, approved the PTI chief’s exemption application and directed him to ensure his presence during the next hearing.
At the start of the hearing, the PTI chairman’s lawyer, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, filed an application seeking an exemption for personal appearance before the court.
The judge remarked that security arrangement is the responsibility of security institutions. So far, the court has conducted a hearing of Toshakhana case, the judge said, adding that the accused appeared only three times before the court. Out of three appearances, once he appeared before this court when he was in custody and another time his attendance was marked outside the court.
The judge said that the only job of the PTI chief’s counsels is filling exemption applications for him. To this, Barrister Gohar said that today, we filed an exemption for the last time. He requested the court to adjourn the hearing till Monday next. We have not received a detailed judgment of yesterday, he said.
The judge asked the defence counsel would you make a commitment to the court that the PTI chairman would appear before the court on Monday next. I am a lawyer, I cannot give a commitment, Gohar told the court. You do not have trust in the PTI chairman, the judge asked Barrister Gohar.
Barrister Gohar told the court that we move forward on the instructions of the PTI chairman. The judge said that the PTI chairman should appear before the court at every hearing.
The judge remarked that he was adjourning the case till Monday but no one has made any commitment regarding the PTI chairman. Can’t [anyone] even make a commitment that the chairman PTI will record his statement on July 31st, the judge asked.
The counsel said that he had never personally made a request to adjourn. If the court wants to record a statement under 342 then record it on Monday, he said. The court took a short break. I give a commitment that if the Islamabad High Court (IHC) does not grant a stay, Khan will appear in court on Monday, Barrister Gohar told the court.
The court summoned Khan and adjourned the hearing of the case till Monday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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