PTI chairman arrested minutes after being sentenced in Toshakhana case
ISLAMABAD (MNP) – A local court sentenced the PTI chairman for a three-year term and a Rs100,000 fine in the Toshakhana case on Saturday – a move that will change the country’s political landscape as the country awaits general elections.
Announcing the short judgment, the court also disqualified him for five years from holding in any office and said that the detail verdict would be shared later.
The court also declared that the PTI chairman was involved in corrupt practices under Section 174 of Election Act 2017 and had submitted a bogus affidavit with the Election Commission, ordering the Islamabad Police chief to arrest the convict immediately while issuing the arrest warrants.
Meanwhile, the convict would face another six-month jail term in case of a failure to pay the fine, says the short order issued by the court in Islamabad.
And just over 30 minutes later, senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi confirmed that the police had arrested his party chairman from the Zaman Park residence in Lahore. He was taken into custody by the Islamabad Police personnel with the assistance of a heavy contingent of local cops.
According to reports, the PTI chairman was first shifted to the Central Jail Lahore – commonly known as Lakhpat jail – form where he would soon be transported to Islamabad by air. It is expected that he would be housed in the Central Jail [Adiala Jail] Rawalpindi.
Earlier in the day, the court had reserved its judgment in the Toshakhana case, saying it would be announced at 12:30pm as the defence counsel again failed to appear in person after the hearing was resumed at 12pm.
Humayun Dilawar – the additional sessions judge – had passed the order as the accused – the PTI chairman – again failed to appear in person as he told the lawyer appearing on behalf of the main defence counsel that Khawaja Haris had been directed to attend the hearing by 8:30am which he failed to do so.
During the hearing which started after a delay, senior lawyer Amjad Pervaiz and Saad Hassan appeared before the judge to represent the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
