ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Monday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after their acquittal pleas were rejected two months ago by a special court. ) filed a petition seeking their annulment. New Toshakhana Case Decision
The decision given by Special Judge Central Shah Rukh Arjamand was challenged in the High Court by the former Prime Minister and his wife.
The couple impleaded the special judge, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and state parties in the petition.
The petition stated that the decision of the trial court issued on 14 November 2024 is against the law. The couple also appealed to the IHC to acquit them in the high-profile case.
The case relates to the alleged illegal sale of a jewelery set gifted to Bushra by the Saudi crown prince when her husband Khan was the country’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
It is to be mentioned here that the special court of Islamabad, rejecting the pleas of acquittal, had indicted the couple in the case last month.
In October, the former first lady, after spending several months behind bars, was finally released after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted her post-arrest bail plea in the State Depository case.
In November last year, the IHC had granted bail to the PTI founder in the new Tosha Khana case.
The court granted Khan’s bail application against two sureties of Rs 10 lakh each. However, he remained behind bars due to the plethora of cases against him.
Khan and former first lady Bushra Bibi were detained in the case on 13 July 2024, the same day the couple was acquitted in the Iddat case.
The case was initially filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). However, in light of the NAB amendments, the FIA took over the case and submitted its challan in September 2024.
However, this is not to be confused with the earlier Toshakhana case in which the couple were sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined Rs 1.57 billion – Rs 787 million each in January.
The conviction of the couple in the earlier (old) Tosha Khana case was suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in April 2024.
Toshakhana 2.0
The reference filed by NAB was related to jewelery gifted to Bushra by the Saudi royal family when her husband Imran was the country’s prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
The anti-corruption watchdog further alleged that as Prime Minister, Imran Khan and his wife received a total of 108 gifts from various heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
It alleges that the former first lady received the jewelery set – which included a ring, bracelet, necklace and earrings – during a visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021.
The reference states that the Deputy Military Secretary briefed the Section Officer of the Tosha Khana to estimate and declare the value of the jewelery set, which he mentioned, was not deposited in the Tosha Khana.
The jewelery company sold a necklace for €300,000 and earrings for €80,000 on 25 May 2018. Information about the price of the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.
On 28 May 2021, the value of the jewelery set was estimated at Rs 70.56 million. The necklace was valued at Rs 50.64 million and the earrings included in the jewelery were valued at Rs 10.50 million at that time.
As per the rules, the 50% value of the jewelery set is around Rs 35.28 million. According to the reference, the national exchequer suffered a loss of about Rs 35.28 million due to the decrease in the price of jewellery.