Islamabad court summons ex-Pak PM Imran Khan in Toshakhana case tomorrow

The Monday's summons was issued on a plea requesting an urgent hearing of the case, and noted that “law will take its own course in case of non-appearance.”

Pakistan's former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief Imran Khan has been summoned on April 11 by an Islamabad court in relation to the Toshakhana case, according to local media report. The summon was issued on a plea requesting an urgent hearing in the case, and noted that “law will take its own course in case of non-appearance.”

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. (AP)

Last October, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) made the decision to disqualify Imran Khan and remove him from the National Assembly due to his involvement in the Toshakhana case. In the written judgement, the ECP stated that Khan had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana for a price of PKR 21.564 million.

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Further scrutiny revealed that the gifts were actually worth PKR 107.943 million, according to information provided by the Cabinet Division.

The ECP decision said "The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn't declare it," according to The News International report.

Imran Khan, 70, has been facing allegations of involvement in the Toshakhana case, a controversy centred around the alleged sale of gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch, that he had received as Prime Minister at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana. But the PTI chief had consistently denied these allegations.

Tensions escalated after intense clashes erupted outside the judicial complex in Islamabad on March 18 when Khan arrived from Lahore to attend a hearing related to the case. The clashes, which involved members of the PTI party and the police, resulted in the Lahore police filing three cases against Khan.

As a former cricketer and now a prominent politician, Khan has faced numerous challenges throughout his career. In April 2022, he was removed from power after losing a no-confidence vote, becoming the first Pakistani prime minister to be voted out by the National Assembly.

According to the rules governing Toshakhana, which is a Persian word meaning "treasure house," government officials are permitted to keep gifts if their value is considered low. However, for extravagant items, officials are required to pay a reduced fee to the government.

This system is designed to promote transparency and accountability in the handling of gifts received by government officials.

(With inputs from agencies)