IHC Rules Imran Khan Cannot Be Prosecuted for Failing to Deposit Bulgari Jewelry in Toshakhana
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled in favor of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, stating that he cannot be prosecuted for not depositing a Bulgari jewelry set — a gift from the Saudi crown prince — into the state treasury as per the Toshakhana rules.
In a 14-page detailed judgment, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb clarified that under the Toshakhana rules of 2018, only the submission of a receipt for the gift was required, not the physical deposit of the gift itself.
Although the rules were amended in 2023 to impose penalties for not submitting gifts to the state treasury, the court ruled that these changes could not be applied retroactively to incidents that occurred before the amendments were made.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had launched a criminal case against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, accusing them of procedural violations, undervaluing the valuable jewelry gifted by the Saudi crown prince, and causing a loss of Rs32.8 million to the national treasury.
The FIA argued that Khan had influenced the undervaluation of the gift, but the IHC judgment noted that there were “no direct threats or pressure” linked to the former prime minister in the case.
The ruling also mentioned that Sohail Abbasi, the individual who appraised the gift, had become a sworn witness after being pardoned by the head of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). However, his testimony was yet to be recorded.
The court observed that the defense counsel argued that the receipt for the gift was submitted in accordance with the 2018 Toshakhana rules, asserting that no laws were violated by the accused.
Justice Aurangzeb further remarked that although Imran Khan had been in detention for over four months, he had not yet been formally indicted. The trial had faced substantial delays, and the investigation was completed by NAB before the case was handed over to the FIA.
The judge also noted that there was no concern regarding the tampering of evidence, but emphasized that Imran Khan must attend all trial hearings, warning that bail could be revoked if abused.
Cross-Examination of Toshakhana Official Completed
Meanwhile, the cross-examination of Bin Yamin, the Toshakhana Section Officer, was completed before the FIA’s special court. Judge Shahrukh Arjumand also recorded the testimony of Mohammad Ahad, the Deputy Secretary Coordination from the Cabinet Division.
Three witnesses provided evidence at the latest hearing, and four more prosecution witnesses are scheduled to testify in the next hearing on January 8.
Delays in £190 Million Reference Decision
In another case, the verdict on the £190 million corruption reference against Imran Khan was postponed again due to the absence of Judge Nasir Javed Rana of the accountability court. The decision, which had previously been delayed after being reserved on December 18, is now expected to be delivered on January 13.
NAB’s reference claims that in 2019, the cabinet approved a deed to return £190 million — seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and returned to Pakistan — to real estate mogul Malik Riaz. The reference accuses Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, of misusing their authority to “legalize” the money and receive billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town.
The prosecution further alleges that Malik Riaz’s son transferred 240 kanals of land to Farah Shahzadi, while Zulfi Bukhari received land under a trust that NAB argues did not exist at the time of transfer. NAB claims the trust was created only after the adjustment of the £190 million, raising concerns about its legitimacy.
