The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has fixed for hearing former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s appeal against the Toshakhana verdict on Wednesday, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.
A three-member bench of the SCP comprising Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial, Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, and Justice Jamal Mandokhel will conduct a hearing on the matter on August 23.
Chairman PTI- currently incarcerated in Attock Jail- has filed an appeal against the decision of the Islamabad High Court in the apex court.
The PTI chief had approached the apex court challenging the trial court's verdict and sentence against him, requesting that the court declare the judgment "illegal".
"It is most respectfully prayed that the Hon'ble Court may graciously be pleased to set aside the impugned judgment dated 05.08.2023, and declare the conviction, and sentence imposed upon the Appellant to be illegal and without lawful authority and to acquit the Appellant of the charges framed against him," the petition read.
The PTI chairman was sentenced to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar on August 5, 2023, after the judge found Khan guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case — a development that disqualified him for five years.
The petition seeks the denunciation and overturning of the conviction altogether on a number of grounds. One of the reasons cited in the petition for the request is that the impugned judgment is "totally misdirected".
The Toshakhana case, filed by lawmakers of the then coalition government, was based on a criminal complaint filed by the ECP.
The case alleged that Imran had “deliberately concealed” details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana — a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during his time as the prime minister and proceeds from their reported sales.
According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
Imran has faced a number of legal issues over his retention of gifts. The issue also led to his disqualification by the ECP.
On Oct 21, 2022, the ECP concluded that the former premier had indeed made “false statements and incorrect declarations” regarding the gifts.
The watchdog’s order had said Imran stood disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
Subsequently, the ECP approached the Islamabad sessions court with a copy of the complaint, seeking proceedings against Imran under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister.