Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi’s acquittal pleas dismissed in Toshakhana 2.0 case
A special court in Islamabad on Thursday dismissed acquittal pleas of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana 2.0 case.
Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand announced the verdict, with formal charges expected to be framed on 18 November.
Imran Khan attended the court proceedings, while Bushra Bibi was notably absent.
The hearing had previously been postponed to 14 November due to the judge’s unavailability on 12 November, the original date set for the decision.
The Toshakhana 2.0 case centres on allegations that Khan, as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, and Bushra Bibi retained state gifts without fulfilling legal obligations.
The court deferred the indictment to next week, with a final decision on charges anticipated.
Toshakhana 2.0: IHC issues notices to involved parties on Bushra Bibi’s plea
Last month, the Islamabad High Court issued notices to the concerned parties regarding the post-arrest bail plea filed by Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the Toshakhana II case.
The decision came during a hearing presided over by Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb.
Bushra Bibi’s lawyer argued that she has been in custody since July 13 in connection with the case, and her previous bail plea was rejected by the trial court. The defence requested the court to schedule the next hearing on Monday.
In response, Justice Aurangzeb stated that the case would proceed as per normal protocol and that a new hearing date would be announced later. The court has deferred the proceedings to next week, asking for the parties to submit their responses by then.
Bushra Bibi was arrested as part of the ongoing Toshakhana case, where accusations involve the alleged misuse of gifts received during official foreign trips.
Toshakhana 2.0
Bushra Bibi received the Bulgari jewelry set during a visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7 to 10, 2021.
The jewelry set included a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, and a pair of earrings.
During the investigation for the reference, it was found that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi illegally retained the Bulgari jewelry set.
On May 18, 2021, the Deputy Military Secretary informed the Section Officer of Toshakhana to assess and declare the value of the jewelry set, but it was not deposited.
According to the reference, Bulgari had sold the necklace to the Saudi Arabian franchise Solugent Trading on May 25, 2018, for 300,000 euros and the earrings for 80,000 euros.
However, the prices of the bracelet and ring were not available. On May 28, 2021, the total value of the Bulgari jewelry set was approximately Rs75,661,600 .
The necklace was valued at 56,496,000 Rupees, and the earrings at Rs15,065,600.
According to Toshakhana rules, the jewelry set's value, after paying 50 percent, should be Rs35,765,800.
However, the NAB reference added that by undervaluing the jewelry set, a loss of Rs32,851,300 was incurred to the national treasury.
The PTI founder, along with Bushra Bibi, has violated Section 9 and Subsections 3, 4, 6, and 12 of the NAB Ordinance 1999.