Islamabad (Web Desk): The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan's plea seeking a stay on the trial court's proceedings in the Toshakhana case.
A two-member bench of the SC, comprising Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Musarrat Hilali, took up PTI chief's plea.
The former premier had moved the SC after being denied relief from the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
On October 21 2022, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified the PTI chief in the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution for making "false statements and incorrect declaration".
In May this year, a trial court rejected his petition challenging the maintainability of the reference and indicted the PTI chief, who denied all the allegations of misdeclaration of gifts.
Following this, the PTI chief challenged the trial court's decision before the IHC, which sent the case back to the trial court for re-examination within a span of seven days.
On July 8, the trial court concluded that the ECP's petition is maintainable and proceeded further against Khan who later approached the SC for relief.
During today's hearing, the bench observed that the apex court will not interfere in the trial court's matters in the Toshakhana case.
Imran Khan's lawyer Khawaja Haris informed the court that there are multiple petitions, related to the jurisdiction of the trial court and transfer of the Toshakhana case, pending in the high court.
At this, Justice Afridi directed the IHC to hear Khan's pending petitions together.
The court, rejecting the PTI counsel’s plea to halt criminal proceedings in the case, referred the case back to the IHC and disposed of the petition.