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Thursday, May 16, 2024  
07 Dhul-Qadah 1445  

SC rejects Imran Khan’s plea to stop Toshakhana criminal trial

The top court sends the matter back to Islamabad High Court
Supreme Court.
Supreme Court.

A two-member bench of the Supreme Court rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s appeal in the Toshakhana case on Wednesday.

The former prime minister had file a petition asking for criminal proceedings in the Toshakhana case to be put on hold.

However, the Supreme Court rejected the petition after a short hearing and sent the matter to the Islamabad High Court.

The bench included Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Mussarat Hilali. Imran Khan appeared in person for the proceedings.

Imran had file the appeal against the Islamabad High Court decision to send the Toshakhana case back to trial court for hearing.

The IHC judgement had said that Imran had been indicted without due procedure after his arrest on May 9 but had sent it for a retrial instead of quashing the case.

A trial court had indicted Imran Khan for concealing assets in the Toshakhana case on May 10, a day after his arrest had led to protests across the country.

When he was released a day later on May 11, he approached the Islamabad High Court which stayed proceedings against the former prime minister.

The case then went through multiple hearings until June 23, when Justice Farooq reserved the verdict on whether the case against Imran Khan and his indictment were maintainable.

The Toshakhana case accuses Imran of not declaring gifts from foreign dignitaries that he took home on partial payment when he was head of government. The case particularly made headlines because of a watch gifted by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia that had the image of the Holy Kaaba on it.