ISLAMABAD – An accountability court on Tuesday formally charged Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
This development unfolded during a hearing held at Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is currently detained.
Judge Muhammad Bashir presided over the hearing concerning the Toshakhana and £190 million cases within the prison premises. A specialized prosecution team from the anti-graft watchdog reviewed the case against the couple.
Earlier, the court postponed the indictment as Bushra Bibi didn’t appear before the court. However, during the recent hearing, NAB prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi and team were present, while Imran Khan was represented by his legal counsel Latif Khosa and Umair Niazi.
In another development, Bushra Bibi received a copy of the £190 million case documentation.
Simultaneously, Imran Khan has contested his disqualification in the Toshakhana case. A larger bench, led by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan along with Justices Shams Mehmood, Shahid Karim, Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry, and Jawad Hassan, is scheduled to review the petitions on January 12.
The Toshakhana case revolves around rules governing a “treasure house” where officials are permitted to retain low-value gifts but are required to pay a reduced fee to the government for extravagant items.
Allegations surfaced that Khan exploited his tenure as prime minister between 2018 and 2022 by purchasing received gifts at nominal rates and selling them for substantial profits.
Following the election commission’s order, Imran Khan was disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
