Rawalpindi (Web Desk): A special court in Islamabad on Thursday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in connection with the new Toshakhana case.
The court session took place at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, with Special Court Central-I Judge Shahrukh Arjumand presiding over the proceedings.
The charges were framed against the couple after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initially filed the case, which was later transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in light of recent amendments to the NAB laws.
In September, the FIA submitted the formal charge sheet against Khan and Bushra.
Both Khan and his wife were granted bail in this case, but while Bushra has been released, Khan remains in prison due to his involvement in other ongoing legal matters.
The couple was arrested in connection with the Toshakhana case on July 13, the same day they were acquitted in a separate matter.
Bushra Bibi spent several months in jail before being granted post-arrest bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in October.
Khan was also granted bail by the IHC in November, but the two are still facing serious legal challenges, with Khan being named in more than 180 different cases.
In addition to their individual legal battles, Bushra’s bail is under threat after the IHC raised concerns about her failure to appear at court hearings.
Judge Arjumand had already issued bailable arrest warrants against her in December, and the IHC hinted that the trial court might revoke her bail if she continues to neglect the hearings.
The charges against the couple stem from allegations that they unlawfully retained and sold state gifts, causing significant financial loss to the government.
One of the key items in question is a set of jewelry, which included a necklace and earrings, that was not deposited into the Toshakhana as per the rules.
The jewelry was sold in 2018 for a total of €380,000, but the actual value of the items was later estimated by authorities at Rs70.56 million in 2021.
According to the NAB’s reference, the couple violated national laws by failing to pay the required 50% of the jewelry’s value to the Toshakhana, which amounted to about Rs35.28 million.
The investigation into this case began in August 2022, following instructions from the NAB chairman.
The reference filed by NAB accuses the couple of misusing their authority during Khan’s tenure as prime minister. It claims that during his time in office, Khan kept 58 of the 108 gifts he received, in violation of established regulations.
As both Khan and Bushra Bibi continue to face legal scrutiny, their future in the face of these charges remains uncertain, with the possibility of further arrests or legal penalties hanging over them.
