Toshakhana case: Imran skips indictment on medical grounds

ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions court on Tuesday postponed the indictment of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf chief Imran Khan in Toshakhana case after granting him one-time exemption from appearance on medical grounds. Imran Khan’s legal team comprising Ali Zafar, Ali Bokhari, Khwaja Haris and Ali Gohar submitted power of attorney to Additional District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal who was hearing the case.

At the outset of the hearing, Barrister Ali Gohar prayed the court to grant Imran Khan one-time exemption from appearance on medical grounds.

The judge remarked that how the court would complete the indictment process if the accused continued seeking exemptions from attendance.

The court granted one-time exemption from appearance to Imran Khan and adjourned further hearing on the case. The court said the new date would be fixed after the defence counsel is provided with the verified copies of documents.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court Tuesday constituted a three-member larger bench to hear a disqualification case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan for hiding information about his alleged daughter, Tyrian White. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, will hear the case on February 9 (tomorrow). The chief justice had decided to form a larger bench after the PTI chairman objected to a single-member bench. In his plea, he contended the petition was not maintainable as he was no more a member of parliament.

The petition was moved by a citizen, Muhammad Sajid, seeking the disqualification of Imran Khan under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution, contending that he had not declared his daughter in his nomination papers submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan.