The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has adjourned the hearing of the Toshakhana-2 case involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Bushra Bibi after their lawyer requested the case be transferred to another bench. Justice Raja Inam Amin Minhas presided over the hearing, which focused on the transfer plea and related arguments.
During the proceedings, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the petitioners, submitted the request to move the case to a different bench. He stated that his clients had instructed him to seek the transfer, citing the presence of senior judges in the other bench of Islamabad High Court who could hear the matter.
Safdar emphasized that a similar order had already been issued in another case involving the same grounds, and he urged the court to consider the request without setting a new date for the hearing.
Earlier, Khawar Maneka, Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, had filed an appeal against the acquittal of the PTI founder in the iddat (Islamic waiting period) case, which is linked to the Toshakhana matter. Maneka’s legal team had also sought a bench transfer in that case, which was granted.
Barrister Safdar informed the court that while he possessed a written objection, he did not intend to file it at this stage. The court, after hearing the arguments, decided to adjourn the hearing without specifying a new date.
The Toshakhana-II case revolves around allegations of improper retention of gifts received from foreign dignitaries, which were supposed to be deposited in the state treasury. The case has been a focal point of legal and political debates, with multiple petitions and appeals filed by various parties.