Pakistan Court Rules Toshakhana Case Against Imran Khan as Inadmissible

On July 4, Chief Justice Amir Farooq declared the Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan inadmissible.

Previously, Khan had been indicted in the Toshakhana case on May 10 by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who dismissed objections regarding the case’s admissibility. Subsequently, Khan approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which had suspended the criminal proceedings until June 8.

After resuming the hearing in June, Justice Aamer reserved his verdict on the petition on June 23, indicating that he would address the matter following Eid ul-Adha. On July 4, Chief Justice Amir Farooq declared the Toshakhana case against Khan inadmissible, according to ARY News.

The Toshakhana refers to a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division, responsible for storing valuable gifts received by rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials from foreign heads of state, governments, and dignitaries.

The issue of Toshakhana and the sale of state gifts received by Imran Khan during his premiership from 2018 to 2022 became a significant topic in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the former prime minister for making “false statements and incorrect declaration.”

Khan was accused of misusing his position to buy and sell gifts of substantial value, amounting to over Rs140 million (USD 635,000), which were in the possession of the state.

In his petition, the PTI chief objected to the filing of a complaint after the specified period, with his lawyer Khawaja Haris arguing that a complaint could only be lodged within four months of submitting the return.

However, the PTI chief recently submitted a petition seeking Justice Aamer’s recusal from the case, along with the transfer of the two Toshakhana cases to another bench for a “fair and impartial” trial. The district election commission was named as the respondent in the petition.

Meanwhile, Gohar Khan, the lawyer representing the PTI chief, hailed the verdict as a “victory,” stating that an appeal had been filed against the session judge’s decision in the Toshakhana case. He further contended that the wrong person had filed the complaint and expressed satisfaction with PTI’s success after a year of pursuing the matter in court.