No doubt about PTI chairman’s dishonesty, trial court rules

 Additional Sessions Judge Hamayun Dilawar issued a detailed 4-page written order in the Toshakhana case in which the judge found PTI Chairman Imran Khan guilty of graft and sentenced him to three years in jail, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to the judgement released on Saturday afternoon, the PTI chairman’s lawyers did not give arguments on the maintainability of the case. The petition is dismissed on the arguments earlier presented on the admissibility of the case on May 5 and July 8.

The judgement says that the complainant submitted satisfactory evidence. The evidence given by the complainant proves the allegations against the PTI chairman.

“The court finds its more than convincing that the complainant (ECP) had provided confidence-inspiring, well-knitted and corroborated evidence, and so the charge against the accused has successfully been proven that the accused has committed the offence of corrupt practices by making and publishing false statements/declaration in respect of assets acquired by way of gifts from Toshakhana and disposed of during years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020,” the court order said.

It is proved that the PTI chairman submitted the false record to the Election Commission of Pakistan. He submitted a false record of gifts taken from Toshakhana in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

The PTI chairman also submitted a false declaration in 2020-21 in Form B.

The judgement further says that the PTI chairman misused gifts taken from the national exchequer. He committed dishonesty while taking gifts from the Toshakhana.

The record of gifts taken from the Toshakhana has been proved false.

There is no doubt about the dishonesty of the PTI chairman. He is sentenced to three years imprisonment, and a fine of Rs100,000 is imposed on him. If he does not pay the fine, he will have to undergo another six months in jail.

“The PTI chief has been found guilty of corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from the national exchequer willfully and intentionally. He cheated while providing information of gifts he obtained from Toshakhana which later proved to be false and inaccurate. His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt,” the order said.

At the time of the court decision, PTI Chairman Imran Khan was not present in the courtroom. So the Islamabad IG has been ordered to execute the arrest warrant against the PTI chief, the judgement concluded.

 

Reporter Farzana Siddique