ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended till March 13 the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against PTI Chairman Imran Khan by a district and sessions court in the Toshakhana reference.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the verdict after it was reserved earlier in the day. The court also directed the PTI chief to appear before the district and sessions court on March 13.
The 70-year-old ex-premier, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year, has thrice skipped indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court in the case.
He is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept.
In a petition filed in the IHC today, Imran prayed that the sessions court’s Feb 28 and March 6 orders be set aside so that he could have a “fair opportunity” to appear in court and defend himself.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who is hearing the case, had given Khan’s legal team 30 minutes to inform the court about when the former prime minister will appear before them.
Khan has missed three indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court, as he continues to recover from an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year.
The case centres on a government department known as Toshakhana — which during the Mughal era referred to the treasure houses kept by the subcontinent’s princely rulers to store and display gifts lavished on them.
Government officials must declare all gifts to the Cabinet Division, but are allowed to keep those below a certain value.
More expensive items must go to Toshakhana under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division, but in some cases, the recipient can buy them back at around 50 percent of their value — a discount Khan raised from 20 percent while in office.
The ruling coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties has for months alleged Khan and his wife, Bushra Maneka, received lavish gifts worth millions during trips abroad. They included luxury watches, jewellery, designer handbags and perfumes.
Khan was expected to be indicted on February 28, but his lawyer requested an exemption from the hearing, as he was scheduled to appear in several other courts.
Following two deferred indictments, the judge issued arrest warrants and adjourned the hearing until March 7.
At the outset of the hearing, Imran’s lawyers — Ali Bukhari and Qaiser Imam — urged the court to cancel the PTI chief’s arrest warrants.
However, the court remarked that the warrants were not issued for arrests but to frame charges against Imran in the Toshakhana case.
“You appear in court for the framing of charges and then request for an exemption,” Justice Farooq said. “The law is the same for everyone. What can the court do?
“The court has to adopt a legal procedure,” he stressed, saying that Imran had to appear in the sessions court today but he did not.
“You tell, when will he appear?” the judge asked. “Imran Khan has to appear before me as well. He can come on March 9 and appear before the sessions court too.”
At one point during the hearing, the IHC CJ also said that Imran would get “nothing on merit” on the petition. “What can I do? Just give me a date as to when Imran will appear in court.”
Here, the PTI lawyer said that Imran had severe security threats to which the judge replied that everyone was getting threats these days.
