IHC takes up Imran’s appeals today

Division benches scheduled to take up applications seeking bail in Toshakhana, cipher, £190m cases

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will take up today, Monday, the appeals filed by former prime minister Imran Khan against his conviction in the state gift repository—Toshakhana—and the diplomatic cipher cases.

The same division bench comprising Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb will also hear the appeals filed by Imran’s co-accused—former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi.

A special court sentenced Imran and Qureshi to ten years in prison in the diplomatic cipher case on January 30. A day later, on January 31, an accountability court sentenced the former prime minister and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 14 years in prison in the gift repository case.

Today, the IHC bench will also hear the accused persons bail applications which seek suspension of the sentences awarded by the trial courts just a week before the February 8 general elections.

Read also: IHC set to review Imran's gifts, cipher appeals

A division bench consisting of Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri will also hear the PTI founder and his wife’s post arrest bail applications in the £190m corruption case.

On Saturday, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore extended till March 1 the interim bail granted to Imran Khan in seven different cases of vandalism registered after May 9, 2023 riots.

Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April 2022 through a vote of no confidence, faced numerous legal challenges during the tenure of the last PML-N government.

In August 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for failing to disclose gifts received during his term as prime minister in his statements of assets and liabilities. Subsequently, Khan was also convicted in cases related to diplomatic cipher, gift repository, and illegal marriage. He is currently detained at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.