LAHORE – The judge hearing the Toshakhana case on Saturday allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to mark his attendance outside the Islamabad court and go back.
Khan said in a video message earlier in the day that he was well aware of the government’s plan to arrest him, but still he was going to appear in the court because he believed in the rule of law.
In the video message recorded on his way to Islamabad, Khan said it was Nawaz Sharif’s demand that he must be arrested and removed from the political scene before the upcoming general elections. He said that his arrest would be made in line with the “London Plan”.
Earlier on Saturday morning, Khan left the Punjab capital for Islamabad to attend a court hearing in the federal capital.
Accompanied by a large convoy of vehicles carrying his party workers and private security personnel, the PTI chief left his residence in Zaman Park and is en route to Islamabad, according to an announcement the PTI made on its official Twitter handle.
Chairman PTI @ImranKhanPTI’s qafla moves towards Islamabad. #چلو_چلو_عمران_کے_ساتھ pic.twitter.com/hoRmDK9Iby
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 18, 2023
In Islamabad, a district and sessions court will resume the hearing into the Toshakhana case against Khan, who was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence on April 10, 2022.
Earlier this week, Khan’s supporters foiled all attempts of the Islamabad Police, Punjab Police and the Pakistan Rangers to arrest him and produce him in the court today as per the court orders.
Imran Khan will appear in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zafar Iqbal who is hearing a complaint filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The ECP has alleged that Khan concealed details of gifts in his assets declaration.
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According to Google Maps, it would take the PTI chairman a little over four hours to reach Islamabad by road.