An accountability court in Rawalpindi has deferred the indictment of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference to January 6, 2024.
Judge Muhammad Bashir refrained from framing charges against PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi as the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecution, Amjad Pervaiz requested more time to advance their arguments in the case.
A five-member special prosecution team from the anti-graft watchdog is handling the case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. Meanwhile, the accountability court judge has scheduled January 6 as the new date to frame charges against Khan and Bushra Bibi in the case.
The court resumed the hearing at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder is currently detained.
Under the guidelines governing Toshakhana, government officials are allowed to retain gifts with low worth while paying a reduced price to the government for extravagant items. The Toshakhana has been under scrutiny since allegations surfaced that Imran Khan purchased gifts received during his tenure as Pakistan’s PM at low prices and subsequently sold them in the open market for substantial profits.
The PTI founder is accused of misusing his position as Pakistan’s PM from 2018 to 2022 to acquire and sell state-owned gifts received during international visits, valued at over Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 140 million.
The gifts include watches given by a royal family, who previously claimed that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai. The items comprise seven wristwatches, including six Rolex watches, and the priciest one, a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 85 million (USD 385,000). An order from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared Imran Khan disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
On December 9, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) summoned Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, in connection with the Toshakhana case.
The NAB Rawalpindi issued a notice to Bushra Bibi, summoning her on December 11 at 11 am (local time) and requesting her to bring the gold necklace, diamond ring, and bracelet related to the Toshakhana case.
