Islamabad

Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday (August 29) received relief after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his three-year sentence in the Toshakhana case. 

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Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahan­giri presided over the hearing and announced the much-anticipated verdict. 

“The copy of the judgment will be available shortly...all we are saying now is that [Imran’s] request has been approved,” said Farooq. 

Khan's lawyer Naeem Panjutha also confirmed the decision and said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief's request had been approved by the court. 

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"The Chief Justice has accepted our request, while suspending the sentence, he has said that a detailed decision will be taken later," posted Panjutha on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Although Khan has received the judgement in his favour, it remains unknown if he will be released from the Attock jail where he has been imprisoned since being arrested by the Karachi police. 

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It was earlier this month (August 5) that the Islamabad trial court sentenced Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case and banned him from politics for five years. 

Subsequently, Khan filed an appeal in the HC against the conviction while approaching the Supreme Court to remand the case back to the trial judge who convicted him. After the arrest, a pre-recorded video of Khan was released by his party wherein he urged his supporters to not stop protesting. 

“My Pakistanis, by the time this message reaches you, I will be arrested and put in jail. My only appeal to you is not to sit quietly at home. The struggle that I am going through, it is not for myself, it is for you. This struggle is for your generations. If you don't stand up for your rights, (but) live the life of a slave...Mind you, slaves have no life of their own. Slaves are like ants on land. They don’t make it to greater heights," said Khan. 

Also read | Pakistan court drops sedition case against Imran Khan

The verdict by the HC comes a week after the SC acknowledged 'procedural defects' in Khan's conviction. However, the apex court opted to wait for the HC's decision on Khan's plea. 

What is the Toshakhana corruption case?

The PTI chief is accused of concealing, in his asset declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana - the treasury established in 1974, where presents given to government officials from foreign officials are kept. The case came to the fore in August 2022 when the coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) filed the case against Imran. 

It was alleged that Khan pocketed $36 million from selling three watches gifted to him. It is alleged that he never deposited some gifts in the treasury, violating the rule as the prime minister is allowed to retain the gifts only after paying a certain amount. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) later said it had disqualified Khan under Article 63(1)(p) of the constitution.

(With inputs from agencies)

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