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PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking suspension of the the trial court verdict in the Toshakhana case.<\/p>\n
The move comes more than a month after the IHC had suspended<\/a> Imran\u2019s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case<\/a>.<\/p>\n On August 5, a trial court in Islamabad had found the PTI chief guilty of \u201ccorrupt practices<\/a>\u201d in a case pertaining to concealing details of state gifts and sentenced him to three years in prison.<\/p>\n While Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar had ordered<\/a> the capital police chief to arrest Imran, he was instead arrested by the Punjab police, who took him to the Attock district jail<\/a>. The Supreme Court had later acknowledged \u201cprocedural defects<\/a>\u201d in Imran\u2019s conviction by the trial court.<\/p>\n After his sentence in the Toshakhana case was suspended by the IHC, the government had detained<\/a> the PTI chief in the cipher case<\/a>. He has since remained behind bars on judicial remand, which has been extended<\/a> until October 10.<\/p>\n On September 26, Imran was shifted<\/a> to Adiala jail from Attock jail following on the directives issued by the IHC. Last weekend, the police had ramped up security<\/a> in the vicinity of the Adiala jail by deploying elite commandos and setting up additional security pickets to ensure foolproof measures.<\/p>\n Today, Imran, through senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa, moved the IHC against the Toshakhana verdict under section 561-A (saving of inherent power of high court) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.<\/p>\n The petition\u2019s title stated that it sought \u201crectification of the order dated August 28<\/a> to the extent of suspending the operation of the impugned order along with the sentence as verbally prayed by the learned counsel for the petitioner before this honourable court at the time of arguments\u201d.<\/p>\n It urged the court to rectify the \u201comission of not recording the contention of the learned counsel for the petitioner with regard to the suspension\u201d of the Toshakhana judgment of August 5.<\/p>\n It further requested the IHC that the operation of the same order be \u201csuspended\/stayed till final decision of the appeal\u201d. The plea also sought permission to make the state a respondent in the memo of appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cAny other direction or relief which this honourable court deems fit and proper in the indication of grievances aforesaid may also be awarded, it added.<\/p>\n The petition listed the Election Commission of Pakistan as a respondent in the case and stated that during the course of the arguments, Imran\u2019s counsel, Khosa, had \u201cspecifically requested\u201d the IHC to suspend the operation of the Toshakhana verdict as well as the sentence.<\/p>\n It argued that the language of section 426 (suspension of sentence pending appeals) of CrPC was \u201cvery much clear that the court seized with the matter has the power to suspend the impugned order and the sentence\u201d.<\/p>\n Citing section 561-A of the CrPC, it said the IHC had the authority to issue orders to \u201cgive effect to any order under the Code (CrPC) or to prevent abuse of process of any court or otherwise to secure the ends of justice\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the IHC issued notices to respondents on a plea of Imran\u2019s wife, Bushra Bibi, wherein she sought protection for her husband.<\/p>\n On Monday, Bushra Bibi had approached<\/a> the IHC seeking protection for her husband. She had ex\u00adpress\u00ad\u00aded the apprehension that the jail administration might poison the meal of her husband and sought permission for homemade food for the detained PTI chief.<\/p>\nIHC hears plea seeking Imran\u2019s protection<\/h2>\n