The Islamabad High Court granted an appeal to former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, suspending his 14-year sentence for the conviction on graft charges, according to a statement from his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The appeal pertains to the Toshakhana corruption case, in which Khan was accused of selling state gifts. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has consistently maintained that the charges against Khan were baseless and expressed confidence that justice would be served in higher courts.

Zulfiqar Bukhari, the spokesperson for Khan’s party, stated, “We had always maintained that all these charges are frivolous and as they go up the ladder into higher courts justice will be served and all cases will be annulled. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had never done anything illegal in the Toshakhana case. Rather those who stole cars are PM’s and Presidents today.”

Naeem Haider Panjutha, the spokesman to Imran Khan on Legal Affairs, also congratulated the nation on suspending the sentence in the Toshakhana case.

In March 2022, opposition parties removed Khan from office through a vote of no confidence in Parliament. Despite the suspension, Khan will remain in prison due to other convictions. In February, Khan appealed his convictions in three cases, the other two being the “cypher” case related to leaked diplomatic cables and a case involving the violation of a three-month waiting period for marriage.

The judicial proceedings in Khan’s cases have recently been scrutinized. On March 25, six judges from the Islamabad High Court wrote a letter to the Supreme Judicial Council alleging interference by Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agencies in the judiciary’s functioning.

According to a statement on Khan’s X (formerly Twitter), most of his cases are handled by the Islamabad High Court and its subordinate courts. However, the concerns that these courts face undue pressure and interference cast doubt on the fairness of the judicial proceedings. As a result, the Supreme Judicial Council must initiate an unbiased investigation into these serious allegations.