ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court wrapped up on Friday the appeal filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief seeking stay on his trial in the Toshakhana case.
A three-member bench, headed Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali, heard the plea. The bench told the former prime minister to wait for the ruling of the Islamabad High Court on his eight petitions against the Toshakhana case.
A day earlier, the IHC reserved its verdict on petitions, challenging the admissibility of the Toshakhana case, jurisdiction of the trial and other aspects of it. The decision is expected to be announced today (Friday).
During today’s hearing, PTI lawyer Khawaja Harris and counsel for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) appeared before the top court to submit their arguments.
Harris asked the court to issue a stay order, barring the district and sessions court from issuing the final decision until the high court issued a verdict.
In reply, the ECP lawyer said the trial court could not issue its verdict until the petitions against the trial are decided by the high court.
At which, Justice Yahya directed the PTI lawyer that he should wait for the IHC verdict and disposed of his petition.
This was the second time the PTI chief has filed the petition in the apex court against the Toshakhana case. Last week, a two-member bench, headed by Justice Yahya Afridi, had turned down a petition filed by him seeking an order to restrain trial in the Toshakhana case.
The ECP had filed a petition in the district and sessions court of Islamabad to start criminal proceedings against him for concealing his Toshakhana gifts in the asset declarations.
