Imran Khan decides not to appear before court in Toshakhana case

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided not to appear before Islamabad sessions court tomorrow (Tuesday) in Toshakhana case, ARY News reported on Monday.

According to details, the former premier has decided not to appear before Islamabad sessions court owing to ‘security threats’. Imran Khan took the decision after consulting the legal team.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also decided to challenge non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan – issued last week in the Toshakhana case – in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

In a statement, the party’s senior leadership claimed that there was still threat to former premier’s life, complaining that the government was not providing adequate security.

Earlier in the day, a district and sessions court in Islamabad rejected Imran Khan’s plea seeking cancellation of the non-bailable arrest warrant issued in the Toshakhana case.

On February 28, Additional sessions judge Zafar Iqbal of an Islamabad court issued the former prime minister’s non-bailable arrest warrant over his non-appearance.

Additional Session judge Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict he had reserved earlier in the day after a brief hearing of the arguments in the case.

A day earlier, the Islamabad police a day earlier reached former prime minister Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence to arrest him after his non-bailable arrest warrant was issued by the Islamabad sessions court in the Toshakhana case.

Additional sessions judge Zafar Iqbal of an Islamabad court had issued the former prime minister’s non-bailable arrest warrant on February 28.

In a series of tweets, the Islamabad police said the former premier is avoiding arrest.

The case

The Toshakhana issue became a major sticking point in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI chief for making “false statements and incorrect declaration” last month.

Read more: ECP releases detailed judgment of Toshakhana reference

The judgement added that the former premier was found to be indulged in corrupt practices under sections 167 and 173 of the constitution. “A criminal proceeding will be initiated against him over filing a false statement.”

“As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.”

“The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn’t declare it,” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision read.