IHC overturns trial court’s decision to declare Toshakhana case as admissible

The Islamabad High Court has overturned the district and sessions court’s decision to declare the Toshakhana case as admissible, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The court on Friday again sent the case back to the trial court for hearing it anew.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the reserved verdict on eight petitions filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan who challenged the Toshakhana’s criminal proceedings in the trial court.

In its verdict, the IHC annulled the sessions court's decision that the Toshakhana criminal case is admissible and directed the sessions court that it should hear the case again and decide.

However, the IHC rejected the PTI chief’s request to transfer the Toshakhana case to another court while issuing notices for the next week on the request to restore his (PTI chief’s) right to defence.

A sessions court last month had declared that the ECP reference against the PTI chief was maintainable. The decision was subsequently challenged in the IHC.

Yesterday, the IHC had reserved its verdict on a set of petitions filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, including the application challenging the maintainability of the complaint seeking criminal proceedings against him on the charge of hiding Toshakhana gifts, a petition seeking the transfer of the said case to another trial court on account of alleged ‘biased’ attitude of the judge and a third petition seeking the right to defence by the PTI chief in the case.

Reporter Rozina Ali