Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was imprisoned in connection with the Toshakhana case recently, on Tuesday appealed his conviction and sentencing by a trial court, claiming that the verdict was passed by a 'biased' judge and it was "a gross travesty of justice".
Khan filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) through his lawyers against the August 5 verdict sentencing him to three years in prison, accusing the judgment to be "tainted with bias" and a "nullity in the eye of the law and liable to be set aside", Dawn reported
The former premier accused the trial court judge Humayun Dilawar of refusing to hear the arguments of his counsel Khawaja Haris on the pretext that he was late. The plea claimed Haris was late as he was filing other applications with the Supreme Court and the IHC. Khan also accused Judge Dilawar of having a "pre-disposed mind".
The plea further argued that the verdict was "already written" by the judge, as it took only 30 minutes to "dictate more than 35 years", further calling the proceedings "a slap in the face of due process and fair trial". It was also in violation of IHC's orders on August 4, which directed the trial court to start afresh on the cricketer-turned-politican's application over the maintainability in the Toshakhana case, the petition added.
“The prosecution has not let any evidence whatsoever that the appellant had transferred any asset during any of the relevant financial years without adequate consideration or by revocable transfer," it said.
Imran Khan's arrest
On Saturday, Khan was arrested shortly after an Islamabad trial court declared him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison. The court likewise forced a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Imran and if he neglects to do as such, he will have to stay in prison for six extra months.
“He [Imran] cheated while providing information about gifts he obtained from Toshakhana which later proved to be false and inaccurate. His dishonesty has been established beyond doubt,” the trial court said in its verdict.
The case relates to the charges that the former PM "intentionally hid" subtleties of the gifts he held from the Toshaskhana — a storehouse where presents gave to government authorities from unfamiliar authorities are kept — during his tenure as the prime minister, and proceeds from their revealed deals.
PTI lawyers granted permission to meet Imran Khan
The IHC has now allowed lawyers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman to meet him in at Attock jail, after several claims by members of the party that he was being denied legal access and moved the SC against his conviction.
The party also claimed that Khan was being kept in a ‘9x11 feet cell’ and was given "B-class facitilies'. Under the B-Class, the Khan is entitled to books, newspapers of choice, a table, a chair, a 21-inch television, a mattress, clothing and jail food, in addition to a bathroom facility in the barrack he has been kept in. He would not be allowed to get food from outside.
