ISLAMABAD: The district and sessions court on Friday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his counsel and sought an argument over the admissibility of Toshakhana case against the PTI chief as well as final arguments in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, while hearing the case, summoned Khan and his counsel for arguments over the maintainability of the Toshakhana reference filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the PTI chairman following the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set aside a session court’s verdict that had declared the Toshakhana reference filed by the ECP against the PTI chairman as maintainable for criminal proceedings.

The court also sought final arguments from the PTI chief’s counsel in the case as ECP’s counsel Amjad Pervez completed his arguments.

During the hearing, ECP counsel Pervez, PTI chief’s counsel Niazullah Niazi, and Mirza Asim Baig appeared before the court.

Niazi told the court that our cases are currently pending before the Supreme Court and the IHC. He requested the court to wait till the order of the apex court and the IHC.

The judge said that the court has granted time for today and then ordered ECP counsel Amjad Pervez to start his arguments. It is Khawaja Haris’s choice whether he wants to argue before the court or not, the judge said.

Niazi further said that we will submit arguments but the proceedings of the PTI chief’s petitions are underway in the apex court and the IHC. The court ordered ECP’s counsel to start arguments.

Pervez, while arguing before the court, said that the accused had submitted all the documents with his signature, so there is no question about their admissibility. The defence has also admitted the fact that the speaker National Assembly has sent the reference, he said, adding that the accused neither denied nor confessed to the Toshakhana gifts, and the court was informed it is part of the record.

He said that the accused admitted before the court which kind of gifts he received. 58 gifts had been gifted to the former prime minister and his wife, he said, adding that the value of 14 gifted had been estimated at more than Rs30,000. As per the accused, four gifts had been purchased at Rs21.6 million, he said, adding that watches, cuff links, a ring, and iPhone were also included in the gifts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023