On Tuesday, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), took legal action by approaching the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to challenge his impending trial in the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust cases. The former prime minister submitted two petitions to the high court, contesting the validity and malicious nature of the jail trial notifications issued on November 14 and 28 for the respective cases.
Imran Khan named the NAB chairman and others as parties in the legal proceedings. In his plea, he asserted that the notifications regarding jail trials for the Al-Qadir Trust case on November 14 and the Toshakhana case on November 28 were both unlawful and driven by malicious intent.
The petitions implore the court to declare the notifications null and void, and additionally, to stay the trial until a decision is reached on the submitted petitions. The legal battle stems from a reference filed by lawmakers from the ruling coalition last year, accusing Imran Khan of failing to disclose details of gifts retained from the Toshakhana during his tenure as prime minister.
Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust case
The Toshakhana controversy escalated into a significant political issue after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Imran Khan for making false statements and incorrect declarations. The detailed judgment stated that the former premier was found engaged in corrupt practices under constitutional sections 167 and 173, leading to his disqualification from his current parliament membership under Article 63, 1(P).
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The Al-Qadir Trust case alleges that Imran Khan and others adjusted Rs50 billion (approximately £190 million at the time) sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency to the Pakistani government. They are also accused of receiving undue benefits in the form of land to establish the Al-Qadir University. Imran Khan, as the prime minister at the time, approved the settlement with Britain’s crime agency on December 3, 2019, without disclosing details of the confidential agreement. His subsequent arrest on May 9 in connection with the case, carried out by Rangers personnel at the Islamabad High Court premises, triggered nationwide protests.