In the Toshakhana case, Additional District and Sessions (ADSJ) Judge Zafar Iqbal and Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim restored none bailable arrest warrants for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. The 70-year-old ex-premier has skipped several hearings in various cases.
Imran Khan has been recovering from a gunshot injury last year. In Waziristan, he was shot in the leg during a procession. In his hearings, he filed petitions for being exempted from the court due to overlapping court hearings, security reasons, and the recovery process.
However, the judges issued a non-bailable warrant as the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) chairman skipped the indictment hearings in the case thrice. The police are instructed to present him in front of the court on March 18 and 21.
Toshakhana
The Toshakhana department was established in 1974, to store valuable gifts and luxurious items received by public officials. Government officials must report the gifts and other precious items to the Cabinet Division.
The President and Prime Minister of Pakistan are exempt from reporting the valuables if the items cost less than 30,000 PKRO (Pakistani Rupees). If the two premiers pay a specific amount to the Toshakhana department, they can retain the gifts.
Toshakhana Reference Case
The controversy rose when a journalist asked him to reveal the presents received in his term under Pakistan's Rights To Information (RTI). However, Imran Khan refused to reveal a potential disturbance that may decorate Pakistan's relationship with its neighboring countries.
Nevertheless, the journalist lodged a file against the former president in the Federal Information Commission (FIC). When the investigation regarding Toshakhana was underway, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took over power, and Shahbaz Sharif became the new Prime Minister.
Amid political chaos and regime change in Pakistan, Imran Khan's Toshakhana actions were leaked. The former president is accused of stealing gifts that are the government's property.
Later, Members of the National Assembly "from the Pakistan Democratic Movement", a joint opposition party made to oust Imran Khan's regime, filed a reference with the Speaker of the National Assembly. PDM's purpose was to disqualify Imran Khan from the National Assembly. In October 2022, the premier was disqualified from the National Assembly for five years.
Yesterday, PTI leader Imran Khan has filed a plea to the non-bailable arrest warrants in Islamabad High Court (IHC). IHC has taken the petition filed by PTI and has suspended the unavailable warrants against Imran Khan in a case of inflicting threats to a judge.
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