Former PM Imran Khan was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana case on Saturday. He was disqualified from politics for five years.
ISLAMABAD
Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case by a Pakistan district and sessions court on 5 August. Toshakhana case is related to illegally selling state gifts, for which he has been disqualified from politics for a duration of five years. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 on the PTI chief.
Imran Khan was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after he was convicted in the Toshakhana case on Saturday. During the hearing on 5 August, served by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar, the trial court made the decision that charges against the former prime minister in the case were proven.
Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar stated, “Imran Khan deliberately submitted fake details [of Toshakhana gifts] to the ECP and is found guilty of corrupt practices,” and sent the PTI chief to serve a sentence for three years under Section 174 of the Election Act.
Ahead of the court proceedings on 5 August, a large unit of police was posted outside the court premises with only lawyers allowed inside the courtroom. This decision comes after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on 4 August laid aside the session court’s verdict on the Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman as maintainable and ordered the lower court to go through the case again.
On 2 August 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) delayed the detention of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. Previously on 3 July, this year, Imran Khan had fulminated against the Shehbaz Sharif government, alleging that the Pakistani administration has “made a plan” to sentence him and put him in jail and the whole chapter that unfolded over his arrest was “pre-planned”.
While giving justification for the accusations in the Toshakhana case, Imran Khan alleged that the gifts were sold “as per the rules” and everything has been clearly mentioned in FDR. He mentioned, “As per the law, when PM, President, Army Chief receives gifts, it goes to Toshakhana, where it is valued. It is done through an FDR, with an initial value and then an appraisal. If there are any excess value, they give the option of purchasing. This is the rule. Under this I took many gifts and refused others. Whatever I sold, is declared in FBR and is under capital gains tax. What is wrong here? Also, under this case, NAB, Election Commission and FIR is also filed. It is just not possible that three cases are being run on the same issue.”
The case refers to the accusations that the former Prime Minister “deliberately concealed” all the details of the gifts he confined from the Toshaskhana — a repository where gifts presented to government officials from foreign officials are kept — during the course of his time as the prime minister and earnings from their reported sales.
The Toshakhana case was registered by ruling party lawmakers and is based on a criminal complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). According to the Toshakhana rules, gifts and other such items accepted by persons to whom these rules are relevant shall be reported to the Cabinet Division. In addition to this, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has fought several legal cases over his retention of gifts. He has also been debarred by the electoral body over the issue.
On 9 May, this year, former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was detained from inside the High Court in Islamabad by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the allegations of corruption in relation to the Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns alongside his wife, Bushra Bibi.
PTI called for processions, following Khan’s arrest, which took a violent turn in many places. The administration resorted to a shutdown and many arrests were made across Pakistan. The people who are accused of the 9 May 2023 violence are also being tried at military courts.