ISLAMABAD: District and Sessions Court has released the summary of the Toshakhana criminal proceedings case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar issued a short judgment whereby he sentenced the former prime minister to three years in prison after finding him guilty in the case.
The detailed judgment on the case covers 30 pages, the court said, while releasing the four-page brief written verdict.
The verdict said the PTI chairman’s lawyers did not appear to give arguments regarding the admissibility of the case. The court dismissed the petition regarding the inadmissibility of the case on non-appearance of the counsel.
In his short order, the judge declared that the application against the reference filed by the ECP was maintainable on the ground that “nobody argued [the] application filed by accused questioning maintainability of complaint …. and the said application is dismissed.”
He wrote that the court found the ECP’s arguments “confidence-inspiring, well-knitted” and corroborated by evidence.
“So, the charge against the accused has successfully been proven that [the] accused has committed [the] offence of corrupt practices by making and publishing false statements/ declaration in respect of assets acquired by way of gifts from Toshakhana and disposed of during the years 2018-2019, 2019-2020 and making and publishing a false statement and submitting false and incorrect declaration in material particular relating to Form-8 for the year 2020-2021.”
The verdict added that the PTI chairman acted fraudulently in information related to gifts received from the Toshakhana. The dishonesty of Chairman PTI has been proved without any doubt, the verdict added.
The order further declared that Khan was guilty of corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from the national exchequer wilfully and intentionally.
“He 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.”
Convicting the PTI chairman under section 174 of The Election Act 2017, the judge sentenced him to three years of imprisonment, with a fine of Rs.100,000.
The former prime minister had challenged the allegations in the Toshakhana case, at several forums including the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court (IHC).
The trial court had summoned Khan in his personal capacity) for a Toshakhana case hearing after the high court had rejected his pleas challenging the maintainability order.
The IHC also turned down Khan’s request to transfer the case to another court and directed Judge Dilawar to continue hearing the case.
