IHC restores Imran’s right of bail in Toshakhana case

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's right of bail on Wednesday in the Toshakhana case.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq announced the reserved verdict.

Moreover, the high court dismissed the former prime minister's petition seeking the same in the £190 million settlement case on grounds that he had already been arrested in it.

Last week, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had raised objections to a plea in the IHC for restoring the bail applications of the PTI chief in the Toshakhana investigation and the £190 million scam case.

Imran’s bail application was dismissed by an accountability court for not appearing in the court. In his petition in the IHC, Imran contended that since he was under arrest at that time therefore he could not appear in the court in person. He requested the court to reinstate his bail application.

An IHC bench, led by Justice Farooq and including Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the petition. Deputy NAB Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi raised the objection that bail applications could not be restored under the NAB Ordinance.

Two days ago, the NAB arrested Imran in connection with its investigations into the Toshakhana and £190 million corruption cases.

Read PTI denounces Imran’s ‘unlawful incarceration’

A NAB Rawalpindi team led by Assistant Director Waqarul Hasan arrested Imran from Adiala jail, after taking permission from an accountability court.

The team also interrogated the PTI chairman for over one hour. Imran is currently detained at Adiala Jail in connection with a cypher case registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

A day later, the government approved the law ministry’s request seeking Imran's in-prison trial in connection with the £190 million settlement case.

The ministry had earlier sent a circulation summary regarding the same to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The approval was later notified by the law ministry.

Following the government's approval, NAB's team arrived at Adiala jail seeking Imran's physical remand.

Later, an accountability court rejected Imran’s request for a 10-day physical remand in the £190 million settlement case. The hearing took place in Adiala jail, where Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the proceedings and reserved the judgment.

NAB Prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi had submitted a written request for a 10-day physical remand for the former premier. However, Salman Safdar, the legal counsel for PTI chairman, opposed the physical remand and filed a judicial remand request.

Granting the request, the judge remarked that the PTI chief would remain in judicial remand.

The £190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) settlement case pertains to the money of a property tycoon being laundered and caught by the UK authorities during Imran's government in 2019. The UK government had informed the Pakistani authorities regarding the money being caught.