RAWALPINDI: The hearing of the Toshakhana reference involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi was adjourned on Monday and will resume on February 10.
Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand presided over the session as the defense completed the cross-examination of two prosecution witnesses, Muhammad Faheem and Umar Siddique.
So far, eight witnesses have provided testimony, with seven cross-examinations concluded. The court summoned the eighth witness for further questioning at the next hearing. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in the courtroom alongside family members, Barrister Gohar, and Faisal Chaudhry.
The case revolves around allegations by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi unlawfully retained an expensive Bulgari jewelry set gifted by a foreign leader, reportedly including a necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings, at an undervalued price. The FIA claimed this act caused a significant financial loss to the national exchequer.
The prosecution argued that the couple acquired the set without proper valuation and allegedly violated Toshakhana rules.
In its reference, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accused the former premier and his wife of retaining 58 out of 108 gift sets received during Imran Khan’s tenure as prime minister, amounting to a loss of over Rs142 million.
Imran Khan’s counsel dismissed these allegations as baseless, asserting that the gifts were acquired under the 2018 Toshakhana policy with payments made based on valuations provided by customs and independent appraisers. The defense claimed appraiser Sohaib Abbasi was coerced into altering his statement to implicate the PTI chairman.
This indictment marks Imran Khan’s seventh major legal challenge in recent times, including cases involving the May 9 GHQ attack, a previous Toshakhana reference, the cipher case, and the £190 million corruption inquiry.
Despite securing bail in some cases, Imran Khan remains imprisoned on multiple charges following his arrest in August 2023. Both he and Bushra Bibi have consistently denied wrongdoing, framing the charges as politically motivated moves to weaken their political position.
The Toshakhana references have been a point of contention between the government and PTI, with Imran Khan’s legal team maintaining that the gifts were acquired lawfully and transparently.
The case proceedings will continue on February 10, with further cross-examination and evidence evaluation expected as both sides present their arguments.
