Imran’s interim bail dismissed in Toshakhana case

NAB to obtain ex-PM’s physical remand in the case on Thursday, says bureau’s deputy prosecutor

An accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday dismissed former prime minister Imran Khan’s interim bail in Toshakhana case.

Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the verdict on the former premier’s plea he reserved earlier. The court order stated that irregularities were found during the investigation of the Toshakhana case.

The court said that Imran Khan will remain and interrogated in prison. Following the order, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also arrested the former prime minister, who is already imprisoned in cypher case.

Deputy Prosecutor NAB Sardar Mazhar Abbasi has said the bureau would obtain physical remand of Imran Khan in the case tomorrow.

Imran’s counsel Naeem Haider Panjutha complained about dismissing the bail plea at 8pm, terming it a “spectacle”.

Read more: IHC restores Imran’s right of bail in Toshakhana case

The Toshakhana is a state department which retains gifts given by state officials, foreign diplomats and heads of different governments. According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the recipient of the gifts must report them to the cabinet division and pay an appropriate amount if the said recipient wants to keep it personally.

In August, Imran was arrested and sent to Attock jail hours after a trial court in Islamabad sentenced him to three years in prison while imposing on him a fine of Rs100,000 for making false declarations about his assets to the polls supervisory body, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan and his then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were also indicted by a special court hearing the cypher case in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.

The case originated from Imran's public display of a paper during a rally in Islamabad on March 27, 2022, claiming it as evidence of an "international conspiracy" before a vote of no-confidence led to his government's ouster.

Also read: Imran, Qureshi indicted in cypher case again

Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain of the special court, formed to hear the case related to the Official Secrets Act, heard the case against Imran and Qureshi.

Both PTI leaders pleaded not guilty during the hearing and said the indictment was 'fabricated'. Imran and Qureshi also stated that the indictment was 'illegal' and they would challenge it in a court of law.

Prosecutor Rizwan Abbasi informed the court that the statements of the witnesses will be recorded on Thursday. The court then issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and summoned the three official witnesses of the case.

The hearing was then adjourned till tomorrow (December 14).