IHC takes up Imran’s open trial plea today

A division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to hear today a petition seeking the suspension of court proceedings against PTI founder Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and £190 million cases, as well as the cessation of the former prime minister’s prison trial.

The IHC was initially scheduled to hear the case on Tuesday. However, due to an error on part of the IHC staff the petition was listed for hearing before a single-member bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

The judge highlighted the error and sent the case file to the IHC chief justice for formation of a division bench. The case was later listed for hearing at 12:30 pm today (Wednesday).

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Meanwhile, a trial court on Tuesday held proceedings of the Toshakhana and £190 million cases within the confines of Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. In the Toshakhana case, the defense cross examined four prosecution witnesses.

The accountability court, presided over by Judge Muhammad Bashir, could not indict Imran Khan and other accused in the £190 million case as the PTI founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who is also one of the accused, did not appear in court. Both the cases were later adjourned till tomorrow—January 19.

Talking to journalists outside the prison, Imran’s lead counsel Barrister Latif Khosa highlighted the difficulties faced by lawyers, journalists and the accused family members in attending the court proceedings being held inside the Rawalpindi jail.

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He said all people, including female lawyers who enter the jail to attend case proceedings, have to go through a “humiliating process” of body searching.
Khosa said there is no heating in the courtrooms inside the jail, which are extremely cold these days. Additionally, there is insufficient lighting, making it difficult for lawyers to read.

 “Nothing can be more disgraceful than this. To declare this type of court proceeding as open trial is regrettable,” he said. “Those who claim that a jail trial is open should come here and witness a hearing," he said. The lawyer accused the accountability court judge of being in a hurry to conclude the trials.

Latif Khosa lamented that due to the mistake of the IHC staff, the PTI’s petition against Imran’s prison trial could not be heard on Tuesday. He noted that if the IHC issued a stay order on the court proceedings then the incumbent trial court judge would not be able to hear the cases.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT BY OUR CORRESPONDENT IN ISLAMABAD