Imran, Bushra indicted in Toshakhana reference

ISLAMABAD. The Accountability Court Judge, Muhammad Bashir, indicted former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference here on Tuesday.

Imran was also arrested in the GHQ attack case the same day.

The accused denied the Toshakhana allegations. The Toshakhana reference was filed against Imran and Bushra by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The hearing was conducted in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where the PTI founder was serving his prison sentence. NAB authorities will produce 12 witnesses in the Toshakhana case on January 11.

A five-member special prosecution team of the anti-graft watchdog pursued the reference against the duo. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing of Toshakhana and £190 million cases in the prison.

During the hearing, NAB prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi, along with his team, was present in the court. Khan was represented by his lawyers Latif Khosa and Umair Niazi. A day earlier, the court had deferred the indictment of the former prime minister and his wife after the latter failed to appear before the court.

The Toshakhana has been under a microscope ever since the emergence of allegations that Imran Khan bought and sold gifts worth over Rs140 million ($635,000). The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who have alleged that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai. The gifts included seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the most expensive a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at Rs85 million ($385,000).

The NAB’s list of 20 witnesses included state witness Soheb Abbasi who appraised the gift and has allegedly conceded to have undervalued them under pressure. Besides him, other witnesses include former prime minister’s Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary, Deputy Consul General Dubai, Section Officers of Toshakhana and Assistant Secretary Protocol.

The Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified Imran Khan for making false statements and incorrect declarations last month. In August 2023, Khan was arrested from his Lahore residence after the court declared him guilty of corrupt practices in recording and handling the state gifts. He was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of Rs100,000 was imposed on him for concealing details of Toshakhana gifts. On December 21, 2023, the Islamabad High Court rejected the plea for suspension of the sentence and maintained his disqualification.

The former premier has challenged his disqualification in the Toshakhana case. A five-member LHC bench, headed by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan and comprising Justice Shams Mehmood, Justice Shahid Karim, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Jawad Hassan, will take up the petitions on January 12 (Friday). The court also provided copies to the accused for indictment in the £190 million corruption scandal case. The court has set January 17 for the indictment.

The accountability judge, Mohammad Bashir, issued orders to freeze the movable and immovable properties of Malik Riaz and his son, Ahmed Ali Riaz, aides to former prime minister Zulfi Bukhari and Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Khan and lawyer Ziaul Mustafa Nasim. Their perpetual arrest warrants were also issued.

The excise and taxation officers have been ordered to confiscate vehicles registered in their names. Commercial banks have been directed to freeze their accounts and not allow transactions or withdrawals. The judge also appointed an additional director of NAB as a “receiver” to collect rental income from the properties owned by these suspects.

In a related development, Imran Khan was also arrested in the GHQ attack case. An ATC in Rawalpindi had summoned the PTI founder in the May 9 cases Tuesday. However, the PTI founder attended the court’s proceedings via video link. During the hearing of the cases, RA Bazar Police Station officials sought physical remand of the PTI founder in the May 9 cases.

However, ATC Judge Malik Aijaz Asif turned down the request and directed the police to interrogate the PTI founder in the Adiala prison.

The development comes days after PTI senior leader Shah Mahood Qureshi was also arrested in the May 9 cases after the Supreme Court approved his bail in the cipher case.