The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday suspended Imran Khan’s three-year sentence in the Toshakhana corruption case and ordered his release from jail, in a major relief to Pakistan’s embattled former Prime Minister ahead of the upcoming general elections.
A division bench comprising Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri announced the much-anticipated verdict which was reserved on Monday. “Decision of District Court (has been) suspended by IHC,” Khan’s party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — said in a short WhatsApp message.
The court said that a copy of the judgment will be available shortly. “All we are saying now is that (Imran’s) request has been approved,” Justice Farooq said.
Khan’s legal counsel 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.”
Khan’s sentence has been suspended but he was not being released as a special court holding his trial in the Official Secrets Act directed the Attock Jail authorities to keep him in the “judicial lock-up” and produce him on August 30 before the court in connection with the cypher case.
Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is already in custody in the same case. The case alleged that Khan and others were involved in the violation of the secret laws of the country. The bench reserved the verdict on Monday after the rival lawyers concluded their arguments.
