Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been pronounced guilty by the Islamabad Court for his failure to disclose crucial information pertaining to the gifts received at Toshakhana, as well as the revenue generated from the alleged sale of these gifts. The undisclosed amount is reported to be as high as 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000).
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, was apprehended on the afternoon of Saturday, August 5, from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore. This occurred shortly after an Islamabad trial court found him guilty of engaging in “corrupt practices” in relation to the Toshakhana case. The court has sentenced Imran Khan to three years of imprisonment and has levied a fine of 100,000 Pakistani rupees for his failure to disclose pertinent information regarding the gifts received at Toshakhana, as reported by Dawn.
According to Additional District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, Imran Khan was found guilty of intentionally providing falsified information regarding the Toshakhana gifts to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), thereby engaging in corrupt practices. The former Prime Minister has been sentenced under Section 174 of Pakistan’s Election Act, receiving the harshest possible penalty from the judge. This conviction severely diminishes his prospects of participating in the upcoming national elections in November, effectively ending his chances of doing so.
According to a report by Reuters, Imran Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has issued a statement mentioning that they have already taken the step of approaching Pakistan’s Supreme Court in response to the district court case.
The Toshakhana controversy gained significant attention in August 2022 when the coalition government, under the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), lodged a case against Imran Khan. The allegations made were centered around his purported failure to disclose crucial details concerning the gifts received at Toshakhana, as well as the alleged “unlawful” sale of certain gifts.
Name- Ritika Keshari, College – Shambhunath Institute of Law, Semester – 2nd semester as a intern at Legal Vidhiya
