Imran Khan indicted in Toshakhana case
An Islamabad district and sessions court on Wednesday framed charges against former prime minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case — in which the deposed premier is accused of taking gifts in an illegal manner.
Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar indicted the incarcerated chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the case for “deliberately concealing” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during his tenure as the prime minister.
Khan, however, denied the charges and claimed innocence.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sought proceedings under the criminal law against the former prime minister in the case.
The indictment in the case was pending for a long period of time as the PTI chief had been avoiding appearing before the court.
Last week, the Islamabad court summoned Khan for May 10 to frame charges against him in the case. In its reference, the electoral watchdog alleges that the former premier had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana.
It should be noted that Khan was not brought to a regular court in the federal capital and his scheduled hearing took place at the location where he was under custody.
The Islamabad chief commissioner earlier said that Khan, instead of being taken to F-8 Court Complex and Judicial Complex G 11/4, will be presented at New Police Guest House, Police Lines — which has been given the one-time status of the court for this particular hearing, a notification issued by the Government of Pakistan read.
Last year in October, the ECP, in a consensus verdict in Toshakana reference, disqualified the former premier and ruled that he was no more a member of the National Assembly.
Criminal proceedings will be initiated against the PTI chairman for misdeclaration, read the verdict.
On October 22, Khan — who was deposed as the prime minister in April last year via a vote of no confidence — challenged the order of the ECP in the Islamabad High Court, praying to the court to set aside the judgment as ECP had no jurisdiction over the matter.