A special court on Thursday formally charged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana 2.0 case.
The hearing, presided over by Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, took place at Adiala Jail, where both Imran Khan, a former prime minister, and Bushra Bibi were in attendance, as reported by Express News.
During the session, Judge Arjumand read out the charges against the accused, officially initiating the legal process. After the indictment, the court adjourned the proceedings.
Imran Khan is currently incarcerated at Adiala Jail, facing multiple allegations, including the controversial “Iddat case,” which led to his initial detention. While he has been arrested and released on various occasions for different cases, his wife, Bushra Bibi, was acquitted in the Iddat case and has been granted bail in other related matters.
In a separate development, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Yasmin Rashid were also formally charged. The accusations against them relate to their alleged involvement in the May 9 unrest in Lahore, during which acts of arson and violence were reportedly carried out.
The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court has indicted the two leaders for their suspected role in the damage inflicted on the Shadman Police Station.
The ongoing legal challenges against Imran Khan and his associates are expected to have significant implications for Pakistan’s political climate, especially with upcoming elections on the horizon.
Details of the Toshakhana 2.0 Case
The Toshakhana 2.0 case centers around a Bulgari jewelry set received by Bushra Bibi during a visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 10, 2021.
The jewelry set included a necklace, a ring, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings. Investigators allege that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi unlawfully retained the jewelry instead of depositing it in the Toshakhana, as required by official rules.
On May 18, 2021, the Deputy Military Secretary requested the Section Officer of Toshakhana to assess and record the value of the jewelry, but the items were never submitted.
According to the reference, the jewelry set was originally purchased by Bulgari’s Saudi Arabian franchise, Solugent Trading, for 300,000 euros in May 2018, with the earrings valued at an additional 80,000 euros. The cost of the bracelet and ring remains unavailable. By May 28, 2021, the total estimated value of the jewelry set was approximately Rs75,661,600.
The breakdown revealed the necklace was valued at Rs56,496,000, while the earrings were worth Rs15,065,600. Under Toshakhana regulations, the jewelry’s value after paying 50% of its cost should have been Rs35,765,800.
However, the reference claims that the items were deliberately undervalued, resulting in a loss of Rs32,851,300 to the national treasury.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have been accused of violating multiple provisions of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance 1999, specifically Section 9 and its Subsections 3, 4, 6, and 12.
