NAB files new Toshakhana reference against Imran, Bushra

ISLAMABAD/ RAWALPINDI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Tuesday filed Toshakhana-2 reference against the PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse BAushra Bibi.

Investigation officer Mohsin Haroon and case officer Waqar Al Hasan filed the reference with an accountability court. The reference consists of two volumes.

According to sources, the accountability court registrar will examine the new reference. After removing the objections, the reference will be forwarded to the administrative judge of the accountability court who will decide whether to transfer the reference to himself or to another accountability court. Administrative Judge Nasir Javed Rana is already hearing the £190 million reference.

The new reference pertains to a Jewelry set given by the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) during Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7 to 10, 2021.

The jewelry set included a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, and one pair of earrings. According to the reference, on 18th May 2021, the deputy military secretary asked the Toshakhana section officer to estimate and declare the price of the jewelry set that was not deposited in the Toshakhana.

The company sold the necklace for 300,000 Euros and earrings for 80,000 euros on May 25, 2018. The information about the price of bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company. According to the reference, the jewelry set was estimated to be worth Rs70.56 million, necklace Rs50.6 million and earrings Rs10.5 million.

According to the Toshakhana rules, the price of the jewelry set was Rs30.5 million by giving 50% of the amount. The reference stated that a loss of Rs30.28 million was caused to the national exchequer by undervaluing the jewelry set, and the former ruling couple violated Section 9 and Subsections 3, 4, 6 and 12 of the NAB Ordinance 1999. According to the reference, the inquiry against Imran and Bushra started on the NAB chairman’s instructions after the NAB’s Executive Board meeting on August 1, 2022.

The names of 22 witnesses have been revealed in the new reference. They are Section Officer Toshakhana Cabinet Division Benyamin, Protocol Officer Prime Minister House Talat Mehmood, Additional Director NAB Headquarters Qaiser Mehmood, Assistant Director Ministry of Foreign affairs Muhammad Fahim, former military secretary to the prime minister Brigadier Muhammad Ahmed, ex-deputy military secretary to PM Colonel Rehan Mahmood, Inamullah Shah, and former personal secretary to the former prime minister.

NAB Director Shafqat Mehmood and investigating officer of the case Mohammad Mohsin Haroon are also among the witnesses. In a related development, An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday discharged former prime minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi in 12 cases related to May 9, 2023, riots.

The hearing was conducted by ATC Judge Malik Ejaz Asif at a makeshift court in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. The hearing was also attended by investigation officers of the May 9 cases.

At the outset of the hearing, defence counsels gave arguments regarding Bushra’s physical remand, whereas, the wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was represented by her counsel Salman Safdar and Advocate Malik Faisal. However, the ATC judge rejected the Rawalpindi Police’s plea seeking phycial remand of the former first lady in the May 9 cases.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court decided to discharge Bushra in the cases.

Speaking to media outside the Central Jail Rawalpindi, Bushra’s lawyer Safdar claimed that the court acquitted her in all cases in which she was nominated in light of different statements.

He added that the court also rejected the prosecution’s evidence during today’s hearing and rejected the credibility of any statement from a co-accused. The lawyer said that the PTI founder was given a clean chit in the cipher case, however, a detailed verdict has not been issued yet.

Commenting on the ATC’s verdict, he said that four prosecutors from the state appeared in today’s hearing. Safdar said that the government reserved right to challenge the ATC verdict in any court.