The Islamabad High Court has resumed hearing PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s appeal against his sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case. A division bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri is conducting the hearing.
The court has asked the lawyer of the election commission, Amjad Pervaiz, to present arguments.
He was unable to attend the previous hearing due to his poor health. The chief justice had ordered Pervaiz to ensure his presence at the next hearing. The court had remarked that if he remained absent, a verdict will be pronounced based on the record available.
Imran Khan’s legal team comprising Latif Khosa, Salman Akram Raja, Gohar Ali Khan, Ali Zafar, Sher Afzal Marwat are present in the courtroom. The PTI chief’s sisters Aleema and Uzma Khan are also present in court.
Barrister Gohar requested for a meeting with his client Imran Khan. The IHC chief justice said that the court will announce a verdict on the appeal today.
Election commission’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz said the PTI chairman concealed the Toshakhana information in his asset details. He then opposed the appeal for suspension of Imran Khan’s sentence.
Amjad Pervaiz said the trial court held 44 hearings out of which Imran Khan only appeared in four. On the other hand, on August 26, a team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) investigated Imran Khan in Attock Jail in the US cipher case.
The former prime minister was questioned about the alleged disappearance of the cipher. According to sources, the FIA cybercrime team under the leadership of Deputy Director Ayaz investigated Imran Khan.
The suspect was questioned for more than an hour regarding the illegal use and disappearance of the cipher. An FIR in the cipher case was registered against him, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other party leaders under the Official Secrets Act and the PPC over illegal use of and misplacement of the cipher.
Imran Khan is serving a sentence in Attock Jail in the Toshakhana criminal case, awarded by the sessions court of Islamabad.
