Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood File Petitions Against Convictions
The founding chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has taken legal action by challenging his convictions in both the cipher and Toshakhana cases at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Concurrently, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former foreign minister and a co-accused in the cipher case, has also initiated legal proceedings against his conviction in the IHC.
Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, representing Mr. Khan, has officially filed the appeals contesting the convictions. Furthermore, an additional appeal challenging Imran Khan’s conviction in the iddat case is scheduled to be submitted on Saturday. Contrary to earlier reports indicating that the PTI’s legal team, led by Barrister Zafar, was in the process of preparing the appeals, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, a PTI leader, prematurely announced the filing of the appeals. This caused some confusion, prompting the IHC registrar to seek clarification from Barrister Zafar.
In response, Barrister Zafar expressed his embarrassment over the situation, clarifying that Mr. Khosa was not involved in the legal proceedings and cautioned against premature announcements. The appeals primarily focus on asserting Mr. Khan’s right to a defense, citing objectionable and secretive proceedings during the arrest and remand hearing on August 16, 2023. The appeals argue that the court rushed through the proceedings, concluding the trial in less than 20 days.
The appeal against the Toshakhana reference, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), alleges violations of the fundamental right to a fair trial. It contends that the court abruptly terminated the appellants’ right to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, despite their full cooperation. Additionally, the appeal highlights challenges faced by Mr. Khan’s lead counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, who was contesting an election and had sought a general adjournment, which was denied by the trial court.
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