Khan is accused of misusing his position as prime minister to buy and sell gifts in state possession worth more than Rs 140 million.
- Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir leads the hearing.
- The court is also providing Bushra Bibi with a copy of the £190m case today.
- The five-member special prosecutor team examined the reference.
RAWALPINDI: An accountability court on Tuesday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The decision was announced today during a hearing on the case held at Adiala Jail, where the former prime minister is currently imprisoned in the case.
A five-member special team from the anti-graft watchdog’s prosecution office examined the reference against the duo.
Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir led the Toshakhana hearing and the £190m prison cases.
A day earlier, the court adjourned the charges against the former prime minister and his wife after the latter failed to appear in court.
During today’s hearing, NAB Prosecutor Muzaffar Abbasi along with his team were present in the court. Khan was represented by his lawyers Latif Khosa and Umair Niazi.
Bushra Bibi also received a copy of the £190 million case today.
Meanwhile, the former prime minister challenged his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.
A larger five-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan and comprising Justice Shams Mehmood, Justice Shahid Karim, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Jawad Hassan will take up the petitions on January 12 (Friday).
What is the Toshakhana case?
Under rules governing Toshakhana – a Persian word meaning “treasure house” – government officials can keep gifts if they are of low value, while they must pay a drastically reduced fee to the government for extravagant items.
The Toshakhana has been under the microscope ever since allegations emerged that Imran Khan bought the gifts he received as prime minister at throwaway prices and sold them on the open market for eye-watering profits.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his position as prime minister from 2018 to 2022 to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during foreign visits and worth more than 140 million rupees ($635,000).
The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who previously alleged that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai.
The gifts included seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex and the most expensive, a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000).
The election commission order said Imran was disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
