ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the Toshakhana-II case and ordered his release.
The court also directed Imran Khan to appear in the trial court after the bail and submit two bonds of Rs. 1 million each.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the bail application of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana-II case.
During the hearing, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor argued that the accused used delaying tactics to avoid the indictment, so they wanted to put their conduct on record.
The FIA prosecutor, while discussing the postponement of the indictment due to the absence of Bushra Bibi in the trial court, said that the court had already granted her bail in the same case.
“Bushra Bibi is not appearing in the trial court, due to which the indictment is being delayed, and this has been misused. The person who appraised the jewelry was threatened by Imran Khan,” the prosecutor stated.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb remarked that if Bushra Bibi does not appear, the authorities should file a petition to cancel her bail. The FIA prosecutor responded that the trial court had issued a notice in this regard.
Justice Hassan Aurangzeb asked, “What action was taken against the three customs officers who incorrectly valued the items?”
The prosecutor replied, “The customs officers committed negligence, but it was not criminal misconduct. No departmental action was recommended against these officers by NAB.”
Justice Mian Hassan Aurangzeb quipped, “Let’s just say that they are very good people,” which caused laughter in the courtroom.
Later, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana-II case and ordered his release.
What is the Toshakhana-II Reference?
NAB’s new reference pertains to the illegal possession and sale of 10 valuable gifts. The gifts were sold without proper ownership as per the law, including a valuable set of a graph watch that was sold without being “retained.”
The buyer of the graph watch benefited from the collusion of a private appraiser. The appraiser reduced the price of the watch by Rs. 30 million even before receiving an email from the auction house, which is evidence of collusion.
According to the NAB inquiry report, the graph watch’s price was estimated at Rs. 109.20 million, of which 20%, amounting to Rs. 21.78 million, was deposited into the government treasury.
The new reference is essentially a NAB inquiry report in which the accountability body claims that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, “illegally retained and sold 10 valuable gifts.”
