ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s appeal against his 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana case on October 29. A bench, including Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, will preside over the hearing. Chief Justice Farooq reviewed and accepted requests for an expedited hearing, moving the appeal forward to the end of October.
Initially, Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir sentenced both Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years each in the Toshakhana case. This sentence was later suspended by the IHC, granting Imran bail. The appeal on the Accountability Court’s verdict is now pending until the hearing later this month.
Additionally, the IHC has directed the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) executive director to form a medical board to assess Imran Khan’s health. The board is instructed to include Dr. Faisal Sultan, Imran’s personal physician, and submit a report to the Registrar’s Office. The court’s order has been forwarded to the Adiala Jail superintendent for compliance, noting that 72-year-old Imran Khan, a former prime minister, is currently an under-trial prisoner.
Meeting with Lawyers
In another development, Imran Khan’s wife was released after nine months in detention on Thursday. Meanwhile, Imran received limited relief as Adiala Jail authorities finally permitted him to meet with his legal team following a 20-day gap, only after court intervention. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan from the IHC resumed hearing a contempt petition filed by PTI’s Faisal Chaudhry, challenging authorities’ restriction on lawyer meetings with Imran.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that since October 3, they had been denied access to Imran in jail. “If we went to the jail, would we be a security threat?” he questioned. In response, the state counsel clarified that meetings were restricted due to no court hearings being scheduled in jail.
He also noted that post-October 3, security concerns had heightened restrictions. “The Punjab government imposed a ban on jail meetings based on the law and order situation,” the counsel explained.
