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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday halted the progress of the Toshakhana case, which was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to pursue criminal charges against Imran Khan for supposedly hiding gifts.
The ruling was issued by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Friday in response to a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief seeking a transfer of his trial in the said case from the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar.
The petition was filed on May 11, a day after the additional sessions judge indicted the PTI Chief in the Toshakhana case and summoned three prosecution witnesses on May 13 to record their statements. However, the judge had turned down the PTI chief’s plea for a transfer of his case.
During the course of the proceedings today, Khan’s lawyer Khawaja Harris raised several objections, stating that the ECP secretary was not authorized to send the Toshakhana case to the trial court and that the complaint could not be sent after the lapse of the set time period.
In the meantime, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also passed remarks about security measures taken outside the high court ahead of Imran Khan’s appearance in another case, saying, “It seems curfew has been imposed.”
Later, Khawaja Harris pleaded with the chief justice to issue a stay order on proceedings in the Toshakhana case. The IHC accepted the plea, ruling that the trial will remain suspended until the PTI plea is decided by it.