In a development that could have major implications for Imran Khan’s election hopes, Islamabad High Court rejected a petition to suspend the Toshakhana verdict.

The verdict had been reserved by Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Jahangiri and was issued on Thursday.

The bench ruled that the law does not allow changes to a decision already issued regarding suspension of sentence. It added that PTI had not requested a suspension of verdict in the original petition.

It also cited the Supreme Court to say that sentences can be suspended but verdicts cannot.

The IHC had suspended Khan’s three-year imprisonment sentence in the case on August 29. However, he could not be released from jail since he had already been arrested in the cipher case.

On August 5, an accountability court had found Khan guilty of corrupt practices in the Toshakhana case. The case was based on the misappropriation of Toshakhana gifts including a watch inscribed with an image of the Holy Kaaba.