Plea challenging sentence in Toshakhana case will be decided 4 to 5 days, says IHC CJ

LAHORE MIRROR — The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to all relevant parties, refraining from suspending Imran Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana criminal case and has postponed the hearing for now.

The court was convened to address the appeal lodged by PTI chairman Imran Khan against the sentence imposed by the trial court in the Toshakhana criminal case.

Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamir Farooq said that the case would be dealt with promptly, aiming to reach a decision within a span of four to five days. During the proceedings, Khawaja Haris, a legal representative, raised concerns about the absence of a hearing before the decision was made. He questioned the significance of a decision reached without proper legal representation and argument.

Khawaja Haris urged the court to expedite the appeal process, highlighting that the trial court had conducted daily proceedings. Responding to this, Chief Justice Aamir Farooq assured that the case would be scheduled for a swift hearing.

Khawaja Haris also informed the court that he had attempted to present his case before the sessions judge, but his attempt was denied. He questioned the fairness of this decision, particularly when his side had not been heard during the initial stages of the trial. He further alleged mistreatment of his clerk in both the Supreme Court and the high court.

The issue of whether a verdict can be delivered without providing the suspect and their lawyer an opportunity to present their arguments was raised by Khawaja Haris. He revealed that two petitions had been submitted challenging the maintainability of the case, and while the Islamabad High Court had sent the case back to the trial court, a judgment had been made without affording them a proper opportunity to be heard.

The court instructed the summoning of records from the trial court. Imran Khan’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, requested that the case be scheduled for the following day. He contended that Imran Khan’s right to a fair defense had been undermined, and a pending application against this suspension was awaiting resolution.

At the beginning of the proceedings, Sardar Latif Khosa expressed concerns about the alleged harassment of lawyers. He appealed to Chief Justice Aamir Farooq, emphasizing that the responsibility to safeguard the interests of lawyers rested with the chief justice, who held a paternal role in relation to the Islamabad High Court and its legal practitioners.

hosa highlighted a recent incident where an FIA detention of a lawyer had occurred, to which the chief justice responded by acknowledging his awareness of the situation and his commitment to addressing it.