All eyes are on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) as it is set to announce its long-awaited verdict on PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea to suspend his three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. The verdict is expected to be delivered shortly by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. The IHC had reserved the verdict after concluding arguments in the case.
On August 5, Imran Khan was convicted by a trial court in Islamabad for concealing details of state gifts, following a case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Imran was sentenced to three years in jail, which also resulted in his disqualification from contesting general elections for five years. Imran subsequently filed an appeal in the IHC against his conviction and also approached the Supreme Court against the IHC’s decision to remand the case back to the trial court judge.
Last week, the Supreme Court acknowledged procedural defects in Imran’s conviction but decided to wait for the IHC’s verdict on his plea. This decision drew ire from the Pakistan Bar Council, which called for no interference in matters pending before the subordinate judiciary.
In a separate development, Attock Jail authorities submitted a report to the Supreme Court detailing the facilities being provided to Imran Khan. The report states that meals are being provided periodically upon the convict’s demand and that improvements have been made to his washroom facilities. These upgrades were made after an inspection report by Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqatullah Khan confirmed Imran’s concerns about a lack of privacy around his prison cell’s toilet facilities due to the presence of a CCTV camera, which violated prison rules.
The verdict of the IHC is eagerly awaited by supporters and opponents of Imran Khan alike. This case is seen as a pivotal moment in Pakistani politics and could have far-reaching implications for Imran’s future political career.