Islamabad High Court – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) announced on Tuesday that the three-year prison sentence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case has been suspended. However, a recent development in the cipher case has directed authorities at Attock Jail to keep Imran Khan in “judicial lockup” and present him in connection with the cipher case on August 30.
The cipher case involves a diplomatic document that reportedly went missing from Imran Khan’s possession. The PTI claims that the document contained a threat from the United States to remove Imran from power. Proceedings against PTI Vice Chairman and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi are also underway in the same case.
In a letter addressed to the superintendent of Attock Jail, Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain ordered the judicial remand of Imran Khan in connection with the cipher case.
The much-awaited decision in the Toshakhana case was announced by an IHC division bench composed of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. The judgment’s details will be available soon, but the court has approved Imran’s request for suspension of the sentence, as confirmed by Justice Farooq.
PTI Chairman’s legal affairs aide, Naeem Haider Panjotha, also confirmed the suspension of the sentence and stated that a detailed decision would follow.
On August 5, a trial court convicted Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, which was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The case involved allegations of concealing details of state gifts and resulted in a three-year prison sentence, rendering him disqualified from contesting general elections for five years.
Imran appealed his conviction in the high court and approached the Supreme Court against the IHC’s decision to remand the case back to the trial court.
The Supreme Court acknowledged procedural defects in Imran’s conviction but awaited the IHC’s decision before making a final ruling.
The announcement has sparked various reactions from different political parties. The PTI demands Imran’s immediate release from jail. However, the PML-N expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, stating that Imran’s sentence was suspended but not terminated.
Imran’s legal team filed a fresh petition in the IHC seeking directives to prevent his “illegal and unjustified arrest” in any case filed against him after August 5. The petition argues that the arrests are driven by “malafide intentions” and seeks protection for Imran’s fundamental rights.
The Toshakhana case revolved around a criminal complaint by the ECP, accusing Imran of deliberately concealing details of gifts received during his tenure as prime minister. The case led to his disqualification under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
The legal proceedings have seen several twists and turns, with the IHC staying proceedings in July and re-examining various aspects of the case. The cipher case and Toshakhana case have both kept the former premier entangled in legal matters.
Read more: Supreme Court terms judgment against Imran Khan in Toshakhana case flawed
As the legal landscape unfolds, the nation watches the outcome of Imran’s legal battles with anticipation and curiosity. The decisions made in these cases hold the potential to shape Pakistan’s political and legal history, impacting the future course of the country’s governance.
