ISLAMABAD    -    The District Sessions Court of Islamabad Fri­day reserved its judg­ment on the maintain­ability of the Toshakhana criminal case against for­mer premier Imran Khan. 

Additional Sessions Judge Hamayun Dilawar heard the case filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-In­saf (PTI) Chairman Im­ran Khan challenging the maintainability of the Toshakhana crimi­nal case. 

At the outset of the hearing, counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Am­jad Pervaiz prayed to the court to dismiss the petition, saying there were directives to the local courts to conclude the corruption case within three months. 

He said the ECP had recommended lodg­ing a criminal case against Imran Khan for not disclosing the gifts received from the Toshakhana. Imran Khan had challenged its maintainability just to de­lay the proceeding. He re­quested the court to ter­minate the petition of PTI’s head and frame charges against him.

He said there was an alle­gation against Imran Khan under section 173 of the Election Act. Imran Khan had not submitted the as­sets details to the ECP de­liberately. So far no devel­opment had been made in the Toshakhana case pro­ceedings after the cancella­tion of the arrest warrants of Imran Khan. 

The court remarked that it had served notices, is­sued warrants and decid­ed the maintainability of the case previously but it was not challenged by the petitioner. Imran’s lawyer Khwaja Haris said the case should be heard like other normal cases and prayed to the court to adjourn the hearing till next Friday. 

The court observed that the arguments would be made on that day. 

Khwaja Haris said the District Election Commis­sioner was a complainant in the Toshakhana case which was a violation of section 190 of the Election Act as only the ECP was au­thorised to file the com­plaint. The trial and ad­missibility of the case were two different things, he said, adding the sessions’ court could not hear the case directly praying for termination of the case. Im­ran Khan’s lawyer Barris­ter Gohar contended that the institution could file a complaint only within 120 days after the submission of the affidavit by his cli­ent. After the passing of the said time the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of ECP, he said. After hearing arguments from two sides, the court reserved its judg­ment on the matter.

Judge Humayun Dila­war said Friday he would charge the PTI chief and ordered him to ensure his presence in his courtroom — as he rejected his re­quests to dismiss the case. The judge dismissed both requests and summoned Khan in person on May 10 for the indictment.

Also, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ad­journed hearing till next week on a contempt of court petition against PTI’s chairman Imran Khan with regard to vandalizing in Ju­dicial Complex.