Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was indicted in the Toshakhana case on Wednesday, a day after he was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case from Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises. The PTI chairman was presented before the judges at Islamabad Police Lines, which was given the status of a court. Additional and District Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar presided over the hearing concerning the Toshakhana case as charge sheet was read out to Imran Khan in the courtroom. The indictment came despite Imran’s request to postpone it. The hearing for the Toshakhana case was also held at the New Police Line Guest House after the hearing for the Al-Qadir Trust case, in which the PTI chief was arrested from the Islamabad High Cou (IHC) a day earlier, was wrapped up. Speaking to the media after the hearing of the case, Imran’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat said that the former prime minister and lawyers boycotted the indictment proceedings. He maintained that the court indicted the PTI chief despite him expressing lack of confidence on the judge hearing the case.

“We are going to the Supreme Court (SC) today against the high court’s yesterday’s decision,” Marwat said while referring to the IHC ruling that Imran’s arrest was legal. The lawyer added that the former prime minister was “kept awake” throughout last night, adding that he was kept in “a dirty room”.

He further said that the Islamabad police did not even provide a bed to the PTI chief. “Imran’s message is that even if martial law is imposed, you [the nation] must stand up for the rule of law,” his counsel added. Marwat said that the former prime minister has not “complained about NAB’s behaviour”, adding that the PTI chief has “expressed no confidence in IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq”. Imran’s lawyer also expressed disbelief on the Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar. He added that the PTI chief has said that he was tortured at the time of his arrest.