Imran Khan's indictment deferred in Toshakhana case till Feb 28

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 21 Feb 2023

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan was given relief on Tuesday by an Islamabad court which granted him exemption one more time and deferred his indictment till February 28 in the Toshakhana case.

Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the case today filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) last year after it found Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman guilty of corrupt practices.

At the outset of today’s hearing, the legal team of the former premier sought another exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds. Earlier, the court had fixed February 7 as the date for indictment but deferred the matter till today, accepting Imran Khan’s plea for exemption.

The reference was filed by the ECP in November last year, praying the court to proceed against the PTI chief under criminal law for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as prime minister.

The ECP had requested that the PTI chief be convicted for the offences mentioned under sections 167 (corrupt practice) and 173 (making or publishing a false statement or declaration) of the Elections Act 2017.

It added that as per the record, the state gifts were purchased from the Toshakhana for Rs21.5 million on the basis of their assessed value, while they were valued at around Rs108 million.