The woes of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will continue as the High Court deferred the hearing for September 13 in the Cipher case. This came a day after the Islamabad High Court suspended the three-year sentence in the Toshakhana corruption case. The court had categorically mentioned that the embattled former premier would continue to remain in prison in a separate case related to the alleged disclosure of state secrets.
A special court established under the Official Secrets Act extended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's judicial remand till September 13 in the Cipher case, a hearing of which was held at the Attock District Jail, Geo News quoted its sources as saying.
The hearing, which began barely an hour ago at the Attock District Jail amid security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry, judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain denied all the defence of Khan's five-member legal team — headed by Advocate Salman Safdar.
Court ordered release of Khan in Toshakhana case on Tuesday
It is worth mentioning the embattled Prime Minister has been imprisoned in the Attock jail since his conviction in the Toshakhana case on August 5. Earlier last week, the Supreme Court, after hearing various petitions against the Toshakhana case, observed that there were “shortcomings” in the judgment of the sessions court.
The panel observed that the verdict was given in haste and without giving the right of defence to the accused. “Prima facie, there are shortcomings in the trial court verdict,” the chief justice said.
On Monday, the court reserved the order and later on Tuesday suspended the lower court's verdict but directed the jail authorities to keep him in judicial custody till further orders.
What is the Toshakhana case?
The Toshakhana case was filed by ruling party lawmakers in 2022 in the ECP, alleging that Khan concealed the proceeds from the sale of state gifts. The ECP first disqualified Khan and then filed a case of criminal proceedings in a sessions court which convicted him and subsequently, Khan was sent to jail.
Khan is currently in Attock Jail following his arrest from his Lahore home.
The case alleges that Khan had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana - a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept - during his time as the prime minister from 2018 to 2022 and proceeds from their reported sales.
As per Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
According to reports, Khan received 58 gifts worth more than Rs 140 million from world leaders during his three-and-a-half-year stint and retained all of them either by paying a negligible amount or even without any payment.
