ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad District and Sessions Court rejected the petition of Chairman PTI Imran Khan in the Tosha Khana criminal case and declared the case admissible.
During the hearing, the judge expressed his frustration, stating that such a display of restraint had never occurred in the judicial history. Present at the hearing were Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the lawyer for the Chairman of PTI, Salman Ayub, a junior lawyer of Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Saad Hassan, the lawyer representing the Election Commission.
As Barrister Gohar Ali Khan did not arrive at the court before the start of the hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar adjourned the proceedings. He emphasized that the court was showing restraint in this case, which was unprecedented. He warned that if the lawyer did not present arguments promptly, the judgment would be pronounced.
During this time, the Chairman of PTI’s lawyer filed another application for exemption from attendance, which was opposed by the lawyer of the Election Commission. Subsequently, the hearing resumed following a complaint by the Election Commission. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing the Chairman of PTI, mentioned that they would address the Election Commission’s concerns on Monday.
The court instructed the lawyer of the Election Commission, Amjad Parvez, to present his arguments. He referred to the relevant portion of the decision from the Islamabad High Court, stating that the Election Commission had fulfilled all the necessary requirements to initiate legal proceedings. The lawyer addressed the court in Urdu to ensure that the media could comprehend the arguments.
While conversing with Amjad Parvez, the court questioned whether he was presenting arguments or merely scoring points. The lawyer for PTI’s Chairman responded by stating that he was focusing on scoring points, while the Election Commission’s lawyer asserted that he was indeed presenting arguments. The lawyer of the Election Commission requested a break for further arguments, leading the court to adjourn the hearing once again.
After resuming the hearing, the Election Commission’s counsel provided additional arguments. Eventually, the court reserved the decision regarding the admissibility of the Tosha Khana criminal case, denying the Chairman of PTI the opportunity to present his case. The court reserved the decision without hearing the counsel for the PTI Chairman. Previously, the court had granted time to the Chairman’s lawyer, but he did not present arguments and instead informed the court that Khawaja Haris, another lawyer, was occupied and unable to attend, requesting time until Monday.
In a verdict, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar dismissed the PTI Chairman’s petition and declared the Tosha Khana criminal case against him admissible. The court scheduled the trial to commence on July 12 and summoned the prosecution witnesses. It should be noted that the Chairman of PTI had requested the case to be declared inadmissible.
(Islamabad51-Newsdesk)
