After relief from Islamabad High Court, Pakistan trial court summons Imran Khan today

A district and sessions court in Pakistan's federal capital has summoned former prime minister Imran Khan in his personal capacity on Saturday, Geo News reported. The trial court in Islamabad resumed hearing the Toshakhana reference filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief.

Islamabad (Pakistan) : After Islamabad High Court set aside a trial court verdict in the Toshakhana case, a district and sessions court in Pakistan's federal capital has summoned the former prime minister Imran Khan in his personal capacity on Saturday, Geo News reported. The trial court in Islamabad resumed hearing the Toshakhana reference filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman on Friday.

In his short order, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq instructed the local court to decide the matter again after hearing the case, Geo News reported. At the outset of Friday’s hearing, the local court’s judge Humayun Dilawar asked Barrister Gohar Ali — Imran Khan’s counsel — about updates on the case in the high court.

“After approving the plea relating to the maintainability matter, the high court again sent the case to the sessions court,” the lawyer stated. The lawyer also pleaded with the court to grant an exemption to his client from personnel appearance. Meanwhile, Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) lawyer Amjad Parvez said that the trial court had issued notices to the relevant parties in the reference filed by the election watchdog for the trail of the deposed prime minister — who was removed from the office via a no-confidence motion in April last year — next week, adding that the IHC did not issue stay order over the matter, Geo News reported.

The court will reserve its verdict in the case if the defendant's counsel does not join the hearing tomorrow, warned the judge. Earlier in the day, the Islamabad HC set aside the session court’s verdict on the Toshakhana reference against PTI Chief as maintainable and ordered the lower court to rehear the case, ARY News reported.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also rejected the Election Commission of Pakistan's reference against PTI Chief Imran Khan's appeal to transfer the case to another court and issued a notice for next week on the appeal to restore the right of defence. The court also rejected the PTI chairman’s appeal to transfer the case to another court and issued a notice for next week on the appeal to restore the right of defence.

The Toshakhana issue became a major sticking point in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI chief for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”. The reference, which alleges that Imran failed to share details of the gifts he retained from the Toshaskhana (during his time as the prime minister) was filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year, according to ARY News. (ANI)