The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rendered its verdict in the Toshakhana case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The court has sentenced him to a minimum of three years in prison and has imposed a fine of 100,000 PKR.
After a series of daily hearings, the IHC reached its decision, taking into account arguments from both the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Khan’s legal representative.
The court’s conclusion was that the former prime minister had engaged in corrupt practices by obtaining gifts from Toshakhana and exploiting his public position to manipulate the processes, assessments, and settlements of these gifts, which were presented to him by various countries and dignitaries.
Allegations against Khan included his involvement in corrupt practices to not only acquire gifts and jewelry worth billions of rupees but also to manipulate procedures, arrange under-valued assessments, and subsequently make under-declared payments amounting to 20 percent of their undervalued value through undisclosed accounts.
The trial court in Islamabad pronounced Khan guilty of corrupt practices and of withholding information about the Toshakhana gifts. The verdict stated that “Imran Khan deliberately provided false information to the Election Commission of Pakistan and has been found guilty of corrupt practices.”
Following the IHC’s ruling, Khan was taken into custody from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore.
The former prime minister was formally charged on May 10 following a criminal complaint filed by the ECP, a complaint he contested.
Despite his efforts, Khan and his legal team had shown reluctance to participate in the proceedings and investigations of the Toshakhana case, leading many to speculate that his avoidance was driven by an understanding that his defense would not succeed.
Khan’s legal representatives had also raised objections to the perceived bias of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, urging for the case to be reassigned to a different judge. This plea, however, was dismissed.
Imran Khan had sought intervention from the Supreme Court of Pakistan, urging it to halt the Toshakhana case proceedings in the trial court. The apex court rejected this request as well.
Atta Tarar, the spokesperson for the ruling party and special assistant to the Prime Minister, commented on the verdict, stating that Imran Khan had been unequivocally caught engaging in falsehoods and embezzlement in the Toshakhana case.
Tarar noted, “Today, the truth about a thief has come out in the open. [Khan] not only illegally acquired valuable items from Toshakhana but also deliberately refrained from disclosing them to the ECP.
He arranged illicit and deceptive valuations for those items and even proceeded to sell them on the open market.”
The legal team representing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party intends to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, asserting that the hurried decision of the session judge raises serious doubts about the judge’s motivations, suggesting a bias against Imran Khan. (Edited)