Islamabad (web desk). The Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is being taken up by a lower court in the federal capital today (Saturday). High security has been put in place to keep law and order and stop anything bad from happening. PTI has insisted that Khan’s life is in danger and he needs security, so Islamabad Chief Commissioner Noorul Amin Mengal shifted the hearing from the F-8 Court Complex to the Judicial Complex in G-11 as a “one-time dispensation”. When Khan came to the judicial complex last month, security arrangements were disrupted as PTI workers removed barriers and vandalized the building, undermining the decorum of the courts.
Ex Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan will have to go to court in the Toshakhana case before Additional Session Judge Zafar Iqbal, who issued arrest warrants that cannot be canceled. When the Islamabad police went to Lahore to arrest Khan, they faced resistance and several of them were injured. Khan’s legal team sought relief from the sessions court, but the judge remarked that his orders were in line with the law and that the PTI chief should surrender himself before the authorities. The IHC stopped the police from arresting Khan despite his resisting arrest for several days.
The Islamabad police has advised citizens to take alternative routes due to possible roadblocks and detours due to security arrangements around the G-11 judicial complex. Section 144 has been put in place in Islamabad, making it illegal for private companies, security guards, and individuals to carry weapons and making it necessary for people to carry the right paperwork.
The police have asked citizens to avoid unnecessary travel from Sectors G-11/1 and G-10/1 and cooperate with police during checking. To ensure security, containers have been placed around the judicial complex. PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has demanded the government remove roadblocks from intracity routes leading to the court in Islamabad to ensure the free flow of traffic.
What is the Toshakhana case?
The Toshakhana case is the case of Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, who was barred from holding public office after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) found him guilty of unlawfully selling gifts from foreign dignitaries and heads of state. The gifts included seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the most expensive a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000). The election commission’s order had said Imran stood disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution, and the election watchdog moved the Islamabad sessions court and sought criminal proceedings against him. Khan has missed several hearings.
In the Toshakhana case, Imran Khan is being held without bail because he hid information about the gifts he kept from the Toshakhana treasury.He is accused of earning $36 million from selling three watches gifted to him, violating the rule that a Pakistani prime minister is allowed to retain gifts only after paying a certain amount. In January of this year, Pakistan’s Election Commission issued bailable arrest warrants against Mr. Khan and other top leaders of his party in a contempt case. He is also in trouble for failing to attend the court hearing of a case linked to protests outside the election commission. Khan was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case last year and is facing an arrest warrant for allegedly threatening a female judge, Zeba Chaudhry.
He is also facing charges under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism act for his remarks at a rally where he threatened to file cases against his political opponents and top police officials. In August last year, he was accused of violating Section 144 by organizing a rally in Islamabad. Pakistan’s former information and broadcasting minister earlier released a litigation status report, which said that Mr. Khan himself is a petitioner in 19 cases that have been filed against government departments and individuals.
