The Islamabad High Court has deferred its judgment regarding Imran Khan’s plea for the suspension of his sentence in the Tosha Khana case. The verdict is scheduled to be announced tomorrow at 11 am.
As reported by Express News, a hearing was conducted before a bench consisting of Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri at the Islamabad High Court. The hearing focused on the PTI Chairman’s request for suspending his sentence. Imran Khan’s attorney, Latif Khosa, and the Election Commission’s legal representative, Amjad Pervez advocate, were present in court.
Latif Khosa urged the court to place orders on the meeting request. Chief Justice Amir Farooq responded by expressing optimism that a decision on the suspension of sentence request would be reached on the same day.
Amjad Pervez, the Election Commission’s lawyer, argued that the public prosecutor should also be informed about the case. In response, Chief Justice Amir Farooq highlighted that the complaint was filed by the Election Commission, not the state. He pointed out that this argument was not presented during the trial court proceedings.
Amjad Pervez drew parallels with the case of Indian politician Rahul Gandhi, where a suspension of sentence request was rejected. He emphasized that suspending sentences is not a strict rule.
Amjad Pervaiz further contended that there is no provision in the Criminal Code requiring the complainant to be a party in the suspension of sentence application. He requested that the court issue a notice to the state before proceeding with the hearing, citing the precedent set in the Rahul Gandhi case.
The Election Commission’s lawyer referenced the Zahoor Elahi case during the hearing, asserting that the public prosecutor’s involvement is necessary.
Chief Justice Amir Farooq pointed out that the complainant is not usually made a party in NAB (National Accountability Bureau) cases, where the prosecutor defined in NAB law is heard. He emphasized that in criminal cases, notice to the state is required.
The hearing was adjourned briefly and then resumed. Latif Khosa, Imran Khan’s lawyer, presented some decisions and referred to the suspension of Nawaz Sharif’s sentence upheld by the Supreme Court.
Amjad Pervez responded, noting that he would not read any new sections. He mentioned that Chairman PTI’s lawyer had argued previously both in this court and in the Supreme Court.
Amjad Pervez noted that Latif Khosa had taken three days for arguments in the suspension of sentence request, asserting that this had strained the judge who had delivered the verdict in the Tosha Khana case.
The Election Commission’s lawyer defended their stance by referring to their decision that found Chairman PTI guilty of corrupt practices. He clarified that the Election Commission had not issued directives to any individual but had instructed the office to take appropriate action.
The hearing concluded, and a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court reserved its decision on Imran Khan’s suspension of sentence request.
