In Islamabad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan faced arrest at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore shortly after a district and sessions court in the federal capital found him guilty in the Toshakhana case on Saturday. Following the conviction, he was taken to Islamabad, as reported by sources.
This significant development in the case pertains to allegations of corrupt practices related to the state gift depository, where the former prime minister was accused of misusing his position to buy and sell gifts received during foreign visits, totaling over 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000). Imran Khan denies these charges.
Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, rejecting Khan’s plea to deem the case inadmissible, pronounced a three-year prison sentence, along with a fine of Rs100,000, and issued an immediate arrest warrant.
The PTI Chairman’s legal team expressed their intention to file an immediate appeal against the verdict. Legal experts predict that a conviction in this case could jeopardize Khan’s chances of participating in the upcoming national elections.
Throughout the proceedings, Imran Khan contested the allegations in multiple forums, including the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court (IHC). However, the trial court summoned him personally for the Toshakhana case hearing after the IHC dismissed his pleas challenging the maintainability order.
Furthermore, Khan’s request to transfer the case to another court was also denied by the IHC, instructing Judge Dilawar to continue presiding over the matter.”
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