Former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi faced a setback on Saturday as their release from prison remained elusive.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested them in a new Toshakhana case, just hours after an Islamabad court acquitted them in the Iddat case.
NAB Deputy Director Mohsin Haroon confirmed that Imran and Bushra Bibi were taken into custody in connection with the fresh Toshakhana case. “They have been arrested in a new Toshakhana case,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, an Islamabad district and sessions court had accepted appeals filed by Imran and his spouse against their conviction in the Iddat case, clearing the last existing legal hurdle at that time that was keeping the PTI founder in jail.
Imran’s sentences in two Toshakhana cases had been suspended, and he was acquitted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the cipher case. Additionally, various courts have acquitted him in several other cases filed against him since the events of May 9, 2023, when his first arrest sparked riots across the country, leading to a state crackdown against him and his party.
In May, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved Imran Khan’s bail application in the £190 million corruption case, stating that the investigation was complete and that his “continued incarceration” would serve no purpose.
However, on Tuesday, a Lahore anti-terrorism court dismissed Imran’s pre-arrest bail petitions in three cases related to the May 9 riots.
The couple was convicted in the Iddat case on February 3, just days before the general elections. The complaint was filed by Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband, Khawar Fareed Maneka, who alleged that they got married during the former first lady’s Iddat period.
