Islamabad [Pakistan], August 28 : The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday reserved a verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's plea seeking suspension of sentence by the trial court's Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar in the Toshakhana case, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. The Islamabad High Court will announce the verdict on Tuesday at 11 am (local time).
A two-member bench - Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, heard the plea. During the hearing, the Election Commission of Pakistan's lawyer, Amjad Parvez, who was not able to appear before the court due to ill health at the last hearing on Friday, presented his arguments in the case.
Last week, the court had adjourned the hearing till Monday at the request of his assistant counsel. The court had ordered the ECP lawyer to present arguments on Monday.
It had also asked the electoral authority to make alternative arrangements due to the unavailability of the lawyer. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer Latif Khosa completed his arguments in the last hearing, according to Geo News report.
Earlier this month, a trial court sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000. He challenged the verdict and approached the Islamabad High Court for his release and suspension of the conviction. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan had filed a private complaint against Imran Khan in the same case.
Under the rules governing Toshakhana, government officials can keep gifts if they have a low worth while they pay a reduced fee to the government for extravagant items, Geo News reported.
Toshakhana has been the subject of intense scrutiny since the allegations emerged that Imran Khan purchased the gifts he received as Pakistan's Prime Minister at throwaway rates and sold them in the markets for profits.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been accused of misusing his position as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018-2022 to purchase and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits to other nations and were worth over Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 140 million.
The gifts included watches given by a royal family. Government officials have alleged that Imran Khan's aides sold them in Dubai, Geo News reported. Furthermore, seven wristwatches - six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the "Master Graff limited edition" worth PKR 85 million were among the gifts.
Pakistan's then-National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf forwarded a reference to the Election Commission asking it to investigate the matter. In October last year, the ECP declared Imran Khan guilty of corrupt practices and registered a complaint in Islamabad Court.
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