An Accountability Court in Islamabad has scheduled a date for the indictment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana reference case.
The court presided over by Judge Muhammad Bashir at Adaiala jail, has scheduled the indictment for January 4, 2023.
The Toshakhana reference case alleges that Imran Khan and his wife unlawfully possessed gifts received from international dignitaries, which were supposed to be deposited in the Toshakhana. The accused were provided with copies of the reference and relevant information during the hearing.
Earlier, on December 23, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were summoned in connection with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Toshakhana reference. The Accountability Court accepted the reference filed by NAB, asserting that the accused had acquired 108 items from the Toshakhana and retained 58 of them.
The Toshakhana matter became a significant point of contention in Pakistan’s political landscape after the Election Commission disqualified Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for making “false statements and incorrect declarations” the previous month. The judgment stated that the former prime minister engaged in corrupt practices, leading to his disqualification under Article 63, 1(P) of the constitution.
The detailed judgment highlighted discrepancies in Imran Khan’s financial declarations, noting that the amount in his bank account was only half of the value of the state gifts he received. The Election Commission emphasized that he was obligated to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but failed to do so.
The disqualification prompted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to launch a probe against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case on March 9. The case revolves around allegations that Imran Khan failed to disclose details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana during his tenure as prime minister.
The Toshakhana reference has named Imran Khan and his wife as the accused, and the Registrar’s Office of the Accountability Court is set to take further action after scrutinizing the case. The NAB Rawalpindi has identified two accused in the graft reference, marking a significant development in the legal proceedings against the PTI founder and his spouse.
