ISLAMABAD: A local court on Wednesday granted a one-day exemption to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minster Imran Khan from personal appearance before it in the Toshakhana case and adjourned the hearing till May 5.

Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, while hearing the case, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the former prime minister over concealing gifts he received from the Toshakhana approved Khan’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance before it for one day.

The PTI chief’s counsels, Barrister Gohar Khan and Fasial Chaudhry as well as the ECP’s lawyer, Amjad Pervaiz, appeared before the court.

At the start of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer filed an exemption application before the court stating that his client is facing threats to his life.

The judge remarked that the PTI chief could attend the hearing through video link if he was unable to come to Islamabad.

Chaudhry informed the court that Khan’s lead counsel Khawaja Haris is busy in another hearing at the Supreme Court, therefore, kindly grant another date for the hearing. The judge remarked that he could not give another date.

We will wait for Khawaja Haris and when he will arrive we will hear the case, the judge further said.

I approve today’s exemption application of the accused Khan, the judge said.

The court took a short break. Later, Khan’s counsel Gohar Khan requested the court to adjourn the case till May 5 as Haris cannot be free today.

At this, the ECP’s counsel told the court to take an affidavit from the defence that they will argue the case on May 5. The court after hearing the arguments of both parties adjourned the hearing of the case till May 5.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023