Islamabad: An Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a Toshakhana reference against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan till December 8, Dawn reported.
The court announced the decision after they recorded the statement of the district election commissioner as Imran Khan did not appear before the court as he has been recovering after sustaining a gunshot wound after an assassination bid during a rally on November 3, the Dawn reported.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against Imran Khan at a court here on Tuesday in a case filed against the deposed Pakistan prime minister for concealing information about the about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure.
Last week, the ECP had sent the reference to the court, asking it to proceed against Imran under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts, the Dawn.
The commission seeks a three-year jail term and imposition of fine as the punishment.
Notably, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in October disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan under Article 63(1)(p) for making "false statements and incorrect declaration." During the hearing, District Election Commissioner Waqas Malik said he had been authorised to pursue the case.
As per the Dawn report, Malik stressed that ECP was an independent institution that operated under the Constitution and ensured curbing corrupt practices. Waqas Malik stated that members of the Pakistan National Assembly, including Imran Khan, filed their returns to the Election Commission annually. The court summons for PTI chief Imran Khan comes a month after the ECP disqualified him as they found that he made "false statements and incorrect declaration" in the election papers. Last week, the ECP sent the reference to the court and requested it to initiate proceedings against Imran Khan.
The ECP asked the court to initiate proceedings against Khan for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he had got from foreign dignitaries during his term as Pakistan's Prime Minister. The Election Commission of Pakistan has called for a three-year jail term and imposing fine against Imran Khan, as per the Dawn report.
According to the Toshakhana reference, Imran Khan had "deliberately concealed his assets" relating to Toshakhana gifts he received, mainly in 2018 and 2019 in the "statements of assets and liabilities filed for the year 2017-201 8 and 2018-19."
The gifts were bought from the Toshakhana for Rs 21.5 million on the basis of their assessed value while they were worth Rs 108 million. The reference was filed against PTI chief by the Pakistan Democratic Movement in August.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement submitted a reference against Khan for "not sharing details" of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their alleged sale to National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, as per the Dawn report. Subsequently, the reference was forwarded to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja for further action.
Last week. more revelations regarding the sale of Toshakhana gifts were reported. Toshakhana gifts worth Rs 280 million in 2019 through Farah Khan, a close friend of Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi, and her whitening of the almost same amount of money the next month has raised doubts over Imran Khan, The News International reported.
According to Sheikh Umar Farooq Zahoor, Farah Khan sold the Toshakhana gifts to him in Dubai in April 2019 for about Rs 280 million. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) official record has revealed that she got a benefit of Rs 330 a month later when a tax amnesty scheme was announced by the government in May 2019, as per The News International report. —ANI

An Islamabad district and sessions court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a Toshakhana reference against former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan till December 8, Dawn reported.

Toshakhana Case Against Imran Khan: Islamabad Court Records ECP Official's Statement, Next Hearing Till December

Islamabad: A local court in Islamabad is set to resume on Saturday the hearing of Toshakhana case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who avoided arrest despite a protracted effort by law enforcement personnel to apprehend him for skipping multiple previous hearings.

The PTI leader is scheduled to appear before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal to attend proceedings on the complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly concealing details of gifts in his assets declarations.

Accompanied by a convoy of his party workers, the PTI chief has departed from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, and is en route to Islamabad, according to the party, Dawn reported.

The government on Friday shifted the venue of the additional sessions court to a comparatively safer Judicial Complex for the hearing of the case after the PTI raised security concerns, Dawn reported.

The Chief Commissioner Office Islamabad issued a notification declaring Court No 1 Judicial Complex at G-11 as the venue for the hearing of the case filed by the district election commissioner against Imran, terming it a "one-time dispensation".

In the last hearing on Thursday, the court rejected Imran's plea seeking the suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants issued for him, Dawn reported. IANS

Imran Khan's Toshakhana case will resume in a local court in Islamabad on Saturday. Imran Khan managed to avoid arrest despite a prolonged effort by law officials to detain him for skipping many prior hearings.

Imran leaves for Islamabad for Toshkhana case hearing

Islamabad: The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday ordered the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release funds for the Punjab province elections, deepening the rift with the federal government, a media report said.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, issued the directives after an in-chamber hearing as per sources, Geo News reported.

On April 4, the apex court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections in Punjab province on May 14, and the federal government to provide funds amounting to Rs 21 billion to the electoral body by April 10.

However, the ECP submitted a report to the apex court on Tuesday stating that the federal government had not provided funds for the polls, Geo News reported.

Subsequently, notices were issued to the concerned officials to appear before the court and explain the delay.

In line with the summons, SBP Deputy Governor Sima Kamil, special secretary finance, additional secretary finance, ECP Secretary Omar Hameed and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the bench today.

During the hearing, according to sources, judges expressed annoyance over the non-implementation of the court orders and told the government that the orders will have to be implemented, Geo News reported.

The officials, privy to the details, said that AGP Awan was grilled over the government's stance during the hearing. IANS

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday ordered the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to release funds for the Punjab province elections, deepening the rift with the federal government, a media report said.

Pakistan Supreme Court orders central bank to release funds for elections

Peshawar [Pakistan]: In a major legal victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Peshawar High Court (PHC) restored its election symbol 'bat' by suspending the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which had called its intra-party polls "illegal," Geo News reported on Tuesday. The court said that the party's election symbol will be restored in a final decision on the petition, adding that a double bench will hear the matter after winter vacations.
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Earlier, Peshawar High Court's Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel remarked that the ECP would have to allot the electoral symbol to PTI as it can't be revoked after the issuance of the election schedule. Reacting to the verdict, Imran Khan's party PTI posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Hit the bat, embrace freedom!" The party founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan filed the petition after a five-member ECP bench -- headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja -- declared PTI's intra-party elections unlawful and stripped the party of its symbol, Geo News reported. The party named the ECP and those who challenged the elections as respondents, requesting the court for an urgent hearing of the matter, after which the court took up the plea on Tuesday. At the outset of the hearing, PTI lawyer Ali Zafar said the party was given 20 days to hold elections and it held internal party elections on December 3 in Peshawar. The ECP admitted the veracity of the intra-party elections and issued a certificate to the party.  The PTI counsel said that after this, the ECP withdrew the electoral symbol, saying the one who conducted the elections was not the right person. Hence, it "invalidated the elections, raising objections to the election commissioner." Notably, PTI lost its electoral symbol 'bat' after ECP announced the verdict on its intra-party elections on December 22. The electoral body had earlier reserved its verdict on pleas challenging the party's intra-party elections after hearing arguments. Announcing the verdict, a five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, declared the PTI's intra-party elections null and void. Following the ECP verdict, the newly elected PTI chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, no longer remains the party's head, ARY News reported. Prominent among those who filed applications against the PTI intra-party polls were Akbar S. Babar, Raja Tahir Nawaz, and Naureen Farooq.
—ANI

In a major legal victory for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Peshawar High Court (PHC) restored its election symbol 'bat'

Pak court restores Imran Khan party's electoral symbol 'bat'

Islamabad: A senior Pakistani bureaucrat on Saturday alleged that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice were involved in poll-rigging in the recent election as he resigned from his post, taking the 'responsibility for all this wrongdoing'.
Former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha's remarks came amidst jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party began nationwide protests against alleged rigging and stealing of its mandate in the February 8 elections.  Speaking to reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Chattha said the candidates who were “losing” the elections “were made to win”.  “I am taking the responsibility for all this wrongdoing and telling you that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice are also completely involved in this,” he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.  Chattha resigned from his office after 'accepting responsibility' for manipulation of poll results, it said.  Chattha said “stabbing the country in its back does not let” him sleep.  “I should be punished for the injustice I have done and others who were involved in this injustice should also be punished,” he said.  The former bureaucrat said there was “pressure” on him to the extent that he contemplated suicide but then resolved to present matters before the public.  “It is my request to the entire bureaucracy to not do anything wrong for all these politicians,” he said.  Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has strongly rejected the allegations Chattha has made against the chief election commissioner.
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In a press statement, it said, 'The Election Commission of Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations levelled by the Commissioner Rawalpindi on the chief election commissioner or the election commission and no official of the election commission never issued any instructions regarding changing the election results to the Commissioner Rawalpindi.  "Neither is the commissioner of any division ever appointed as a DRO, RO or presiding officer, nor do they ever play a direct role in the conduct of elections."  However, it said that the matter would be investigated.  Earlier, Punjab caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir has also “rejected” the claims of manipulation of election results made by Chattha.  Speaking to Geo News, he said that Chattha had “not shown any proof” of the alleged tampering of poll results.  Noting that the commissioner was retiring on March 13, Mir said, “I imagine he’s trying to kick start his political career after he retires.” Besides PTI, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and others have also complained of rigging during the elections.  Independent candidates - a majority backed by the PTI party - won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested in the February 8 election.  However, PTI's two main rivals appear on course to form a coalition government after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) formed a post-poll alliance on Tuesday.  The PML-N won 75 seats while the PPP came third with 54 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has also agreed to support them with their 17 seats.  To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly.
—PTI

Former Rawalpindi Commissioner resigns, implicates chief election commissioner and chief justice in election rigging. Nationwide protests ensue.

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Toshakhana Case Against Imran Khan: Islamabad Court Records ECP Official's Statement, Next Hearing Till December

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Toshakhana Case Against Imran Khan: Islamabad Court Records ECP Official's Statement, Next Hearing Till December

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