The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed on Friday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s plea against trial proceedings pertaining to the Toshakhana case.
A three-member SC bench, led by Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, heard Imran’s plea.
Earlier, the top court had constituted a fresh three-member bench to preside over the Toshakhana case. Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was replaced by Justice Rizvi.
During the hearing today, Advocate Khawaja Haris appeared as the former PM’s counsel while Advocate Amjad Pervaiz appeared as the counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The SC said that the trial court could not reserve its verdict on the Toshakhana case until the Islamabad High Court (IHC) gave its verdict.
The top court dismissed Imran’s plea against trial proceedings after he withdrew the petition.
Background
Last year in October, the Election Commission of Pakistan had disqualified Imran from his parliamentary membership for filing “false” and “incorrect declaration” in his statement of assets and liabilities for the year 2020-21 filed with the electoral entity.
Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
Lawmakers from the ruling coalition had filed a reference last year against Imran alleging that he had not shared details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana and proceeds from their reported sales.
This year in May, Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Hamayun Dilawar indicted Imran in the case and rejected his petition challenging the maintainability of the reference.
The PTI chairman then moved the IHC, which sent the case back to the trial court for re-examination.
Following the IHC ruling, Imran moved the SC and urged the apex court to set aside the high court’s directive.