Imran’s bail pleas put off till 4th

Anti-graft body to present its arguments on bail applications

RAWALPINDI:

An accountability court on Saturday put off the hearing of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s bail applications in Toshakhana (gift repository) and £190 million settlement references till January 4 without any proceedings.

Accountability Court judge Muhammad Bashir postponed the hearing as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi was absent because of ill health.

The anti-graft body had to present its arguments on the bail applications.

Defence lawyer Latif Khosa has already completed his arguments.

A day earlier, the court adjourned the hearing of the bail applications in the two references till Saturday.

The Toshakhana is a state department which retains gifts given by state officials, foreign diplomats and heads of different governments.

Read Imran moves SC against Toshakhana verdict

According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the recipient of the gifts must report them to the cabinet division and pay an appropriate amount if they wanted to keep it personally.

On December 19, NAB filed a new reference against Imran and his wife in the accountability court for allegedly retaining 58 gifts against an undervalued amount over Rs142 million of the total of 108 that the couple had received from different heads of states and foreign dignitaries during the PTI founding chairman’s tenure as the premier.

Earlier on December 1, NAB filed a £190 million corruption reference against Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi, a close family friend Farah Gogi, and others in the accountability court.

NAB launched an investigation against Imran, his wife and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of kanals of land in the name of Al-Qadir University Trust, which reportedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.