Toshakhana case: IK moves SC with a view to getting his conviction nullified

ISLAMABAD: The incarcerated ex-prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday approached Supreme Court of Pakistan to nullify his conviction in Toshakhana case and the trial court’s verdict.

The counsel for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman, submitted the appeal on behalf of the former prime minister after rectifying the objections raised by the Supreme Court Registrar’s Office earlier.

The apex court registrar’s office had returned Khan’s appeal on December 23, saying the documents attached to the appeal were incomplete and directing the petitioner to re-file it with all the relevant papers on January 6.

The appeal was filed by Sardar Latif Khosa under Article 185 of the Constitution.

The former prime minister was sentenced to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar on August 5, 2023, after the judge found Khan guilty of graft in the case.

Khan’s conviction in the case resulted in his disqualification from holding any public office for five years.

On Saturday, the ousted premier had petitioned the apex court against the Islamabad High Court (IHC)’s order in the Toshakhana case as part of his efforts to overturn the conviction in the case to contest the general elections scheduled for February 8, 2024.

However, the IHC had dismissed the PTI supremo’s plea seeking suspension of the trial court’s verdict.

In his plea filed in the IHC — the same court that had suspended his sentence — Khan had sought to nullify the conviction.

In the fresh petition, Khan appealed the IHC’s verdict to be stayed, stating that his sentence in the Toshakhana case had already been suspended.

He contended that he is being denied his fundamental right to contest elections due to the suspension of only his sentence instead of the entire order of conviction by the trial court, which bars him from running for office.

The IHC’s two-member bench had on December 21 turned down Khan’s request for the suspension of his conviction, which would have paved the way for his eligibility to stand in elections.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023