Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case on Saturday and was taken to Islamabad. Lahore Police Chief Bilal Siddique Kamiana confirmed the arrest and told Reuters the former prime minister was being transferred to the capital. Later, Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar said Imran Khan was shifted to Attock jail. The development came soon after a local court on Saturday announced a three year jail term to chairman PTI Imran Khan along with fine worth Rs 100,000 after convicting him in a criminal case pertaining to concealing the details of gifts received from Toshakhana.

After the verdict, Imran technically stands disqualified from holding any public office for five years under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution.

The court said that the charges against the accused for hiding assets from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had been proved during the trial. The court also rejected the plea of former prime minister Imran Khan pertaining to the maintainability of case. Additional District and Session Judge Hamayun Dilawar announced the verdict into the case and later also issued a four-page written order. The order said that no one had given arguments from the accused side in a case against admissibility of the criminal case. The plea was being terminated on the basis of arguments given on May 5, and July 8, into the matter. The order said that the complainant had presented satisfactory and solid evidences against the accused, which had proved the charges. It further said that the chairman PTI had submitted the false record to the ECP during the years of 2018-19 and 2019-20 regarding his assets.

It said that the accused had also submitted false record pertaining Form-B in 2020-21. It said that the record pertaining the toshakhana gifts had proved as false and there was no doubt that chairman PTI had committed dishonesty.

The order said that keeping in view the crimes, the accused is awarded a three year imprisonment sentence and is imposed Rs100,000 fine. The accused had to face six month jail more if he failed to submit the amount of fine. The written order said that the chairman PTI was not present during the court announced the verdict. It directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to ensure execution of the arrest warrants against Imran Khan. The court directed the IGP Islamabad to shift Imran Khan to the Central Jail Adiala after arresting him. The warrants said that the superintendent of the said jail had been authorized to keep the accused Imran Khan Niazi in its custody till the completion of the sentence. Earlier, as the hearing began, the judge inquired whether someone was appeared on behalf of Imran Khan for arguments against maintainability of the case. He said that the court was holding a recession till 12:00pm and it would announce the verdict if Imran Khan’s lawyer didn’t appear. He said that none bailable arrest warrants could be issued if the accused failed to appear on first call.

Later, Imran Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Haris appeared before the court and said that he wanted to file application regarding the transfer of the case. The court denied the request. Judge Hamayun Dilawar made the judgment written in an open court and said that no lawyer appeared before the court despite the second call.

It may be mentioned here that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had terminated the order of trial court pertaining the maintainability of the case and instructed it to re-decide the matter after hearing the defence side. The IHC, however, dismissed the petition of chairman PTI for transfer of the case to another court. The trial court had sought arguments from defence lawyer today regarding maintainability of the case and also summoned Imran Khan in personal capacity. The District Election Commissioner Islamabad had lodge a complaint to the lower court seeking criminal proceeding against Imran Khan for concealing the details of toshakhana gifts from ECP.