Daily Times

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday served notices to respondents in an appeal of chairman PTI Imran Khan against his conviction in toshakhana criminal case.

The court also sought the case record from the trial court and said that it would firstly, hear the stance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the appeal. A two judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case wherein the defence lawyers Khawaja Haris, Sardar Latif Khosa, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Baber Awan appeared before the court.

At the outset of the hearing, Sardar Latif Khosa said that the trial court had awarded maximum sentence to former prime minister as per the charges in the case. The trial court had announced the verdict despite the appeal of the defence side against abolishing of the right of defence was pending with IHC, he said, the session court should have waited for the verdict of high court.

The lawyer alleged that the trial court had announced the verdict in haste and awarded three years jail term along Rs100,000 fine to the accused. He prayed the court to suspend the sentence of his client as it was considered a short term sentence. The chief justice remarked that firstly, the bench would hear the stance of ECP and then would decide the matter. Sardar Latif Khosa prayed the court to fix the case tomorrow again for further hearing.

Khawaja Haris argued that the IHC had ordered the trial court to decide the matter pertaining maintainability of the case on daily basis but the trial court announced its verdict on the third day without hearing the defence counsel. He said that he had reached the trial court before the announcement of the verdict but it refused to hear him.

The chief justice remarked that the court had served notices in the appeal and then would also view these points. Justice Farooq remarked that hearing on this appeal was not possible tomorrow as he would be on leave. He observed that the case wouldn’t be prolonged till after the vacations as the appeal pertaining to the sentences and bails were being fixed early. After this, the court adjourned further hearing of the case.

It may be mentioned here that a trial court had announced a three years imprisonment sentence along with Rs100,000 fine to Imran Khan in a criminal case lodged by the ECP.