On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other parties in response to acquittal petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana-II case.
Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas presided over the hearing, during which Imran Khan’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, requested a stay order on the trial. However, Justice Minhas remarked that halting criminal proceedings at this stage lacked judicial precedent.
Safdar also sought to have the case transferred to Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, due to his previous involvement in related petitions. Justice Minhas rejected the request, clarifying that Justice Aurangzeb had handled bail petitions, while the current case concerned acquittal. He instructed the lawyer to focus on presenting arguments based on the case’s merits.
The PTI lawyer also appealed for a halt to the trial court’s proceedings, but the judge declined, noting that the suspects had already been indicted and witnesses were being heard. He emphasized that issuing such an order at this stage would be inappropriate.
The court issued notices to the FIA and other parties, scheduling the next hearing for January 28.
