Pakistan’s jailed former premier Imran Khan on Tuesday challenged his conviction within the Toshakhana corruption case by a trial court docket, saying the decision by a “biased” decide was a “slap within the face due course of and honest trial” and “a gross travesty of justice”.
Khan, 70, was arrested on Saturday shortly after an Islamabad trial court docket discovered him responsible of “corrupt practices” within the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to 3 years in jail. Khan is presently lodged within the Attock Jail.
Khan has appealed his conviction and the three-year jail sentence within the case by submitting a plea by way of his legal professionals – Khawaja Haris and Gohar Ali Khan – on the Islamabad Excessive Courtroom (IHC).
He stated that the trial decide made the conclusions on the premise of a “predisposed thoughts” as a substitute of advantage of the case as a result of the petitioner’s lawyer was not given the suitable of presenting arguments.
Khan’s plea acknowledged that the judgment handed by the trial court docket decide was “tainted with bias, is a nullity within the eye of the regulation and is liable to be put aside”.
It stated the order was issued with out offering the petitioner with an opportunity to struggle his case and alleged that Extra District and Classes Decide Humayun Dilawar had refused to listen to the arguments of Haris, Imran’s counsel within the Toshakhana case, on the pretext that he was late – which the plea claimed was as a result of he was submitting different purposes with the Supreme Courtroom and Islamabad Excessive Courtroom.
Thus, the petition stated, the decision of the trial court docket was a slap within the face due course of and honest trial and a gross travesty of justice.
“The impugned judgment was introduced although earlier than graduation counsel for the appellant was very a lot in court docket totally ready to deal with arguments after explaining the explanations for the delay in arriving in court docket, however the trial decide, who all through the proceedings had been exhibiting his excessive bias in direction of the appellant and his counsel, and continually utilizing disparaging remarks in opposition to them, even of their absence, was bent on finishing up a well-orchestrated plan, it learn.
He accused that the judgment given on the conclusion of listening to had already been ready and written, which is why a 35-page verdict was issued inside half-hour of the announcement of the choice by way of a brief order.
The plea named the district election commissioner of Islamabad because the respondent within the case.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf introduced on WhatsApp group of international media journalists that the court docket accepted the petition and stuck it for listening to on Wednesday.
Individually, the IHC granted permission to Khan’s legal professionals to fulfill him in jail because the court docket took up a petition filed by the social gathering searching for A-Class services for the ex-premier.
Later, the court docket requested Khan’s social gathering to offer names of two legal professionals who ought to meet Khan in jail.
Khan was convicted within the case filed by the Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) final yr after it had disqualified him for not exhibiting the cash he acquired after promoting the presents he bought at a reduced worth from Toshakhana.
The Toshakhana case says that Khan intentionally hid particulars of the presents he retained from the Toshakhana, a repository the place presents handed to authorities officers from international officers are stored, throughout his time because the prime minister and proceeds from their reported gross sales.
Khan is accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to purchase and promote presents in state possession that had been acquired throughout visits overseas and price greater than Rs 140 million (USD 635,000).
That is the second time in three months that Khan has been arrested.
Khan was arrested on Might 9 in Islamabad from the excessive court docket’s premises within the Al-Qadir Belief corruption case, sparking violent protests by his supporters.
Khan faces greater than 140 circumstances throughout the nation and fees like terrorism, violence, blasphemy, corruption and homicide.
