ISLAMABAD: An accountability court indicted Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The announcement came during a hearing held today at Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is currently detained for the case.
A specialized prosecution team from the anti-graft watchdog reviewed the case against the couple. Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the Toshakhana and £190 million cases within the prison premises.
Previously, the court had postponed the indictment of the former prime minister and his wife due to Bushra Bibi’s absence in court.
During today’s hearing, NAB prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi and team were present, while Imran Khan was represented by his attorneys Latif Khosa and Umair Niazi.
Bushra Bibi was furnished with a copy of the £190 million case today.
Simultaneously, Imran Khan has challenged his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.
A larger bench headed by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, including Justices Shams Mehmood, Shahid Karim, Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry, and Jawad Hassan, is set to consider the petitions on January 12 (Friday).
Regarding the Toshakhana case:
During Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, he purportedly received valuable gifts from foreign nations at lower prices and subsequently sold these gifts for $635,000.
Among these gifts is a significant watch from Saudi Arabia, featuring a model of Kaaba, estimated to be worth Rs 60-65 crore in the international market.
On October 21, 2022, the Election Commission of Pakistan declared that former Prime Minister Imran Khan provided false statements concerning the gifts and assets of Toshakhana under Article 63 (1) of the Constitution.
Subsequently, on August 5, 2023, an Islamabad court sentenced Imran Khan to three years’ imprisonment in the Toshakhana case.
It’s worth noting that on December 21, the Islamabad High Court rejected Imran Khan’s plea to suspend the sentence in the Toshakhana case, consequently upholding his disqualification.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
