In a major relief to the former jailed Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday (August 29) suspended his three-year sentence in the Toshakhana corruption case.
A division bench of Islamabad High Court announced the much-anticipated reserved verdict. The bench consisted of IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri.
Earlier on Monday, the IHC reserved the verdict on Khan’s plea challenging his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case.
“Decision of District Court (has been) suspended by IHC,” Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said in a short WhatsApp message.
“The copy of the judgment will be available shortly … all we are saying now is that [Imran’s] request has been approved,” Justice Farooq said.
‘CJ accepted our request’
Khan’s aide on legal affairs Naeem Haider Panjotha posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The CJ has accepted our request, suspended the sentence and said a detailed decision would be provided later.”
A trial court in Islamabad convicted and sentenced the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman to three years in prison on August 5. The apex court had also stated it would wait for the IHC hearing before giving its judgment.
The cricketer-turned-politician was sentenced on charges of unlawfully selling state gifts acquired by him and his family during his 2018-2022 tenure. He has also been barred from politics for five years, preventing him from contesting an upcoming election.
(With inputs from PTI)