The Islamabad High Court (IHC) provided a reprieve to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by temporarily suspending their sentences in the Toshakhana case, as announced on Monday. Chief Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC indicated that the appeal against their conviction would be scheduled for a hearing post the Eid holidays.
In January, Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court had sentenced Khan and Bushra to 14 years in prison with stringent penalties in connection to the Toshakhana reference. Additionally, Khan was barred from holding office for ten years, and the couple was fined Rs1.57 billion, equating to Rs787 million each.
Khan vehemently asserted in court that his wife had no involvement in the case and was unjustly implicated. During the proceedings, IHC CJ Farooq remarked that the cipher case would be concluded shortly, and scheduling the Toshakhana case immediately after its hearing was not feasible.
The IHC elaborated that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) needed to commence arguments in the cipher case, and the duration required for this process remained uncertain. Consequently, the Toshakhana case was deferred until after Eid.
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The couple had also received seven-year prison sentences each for their unlawful marriage case on February 1. Moreover, earlier in January, Khan and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been sentenced to ten years in prison in the cipher case. These consecutive verdicts were delivered just days before the general elections on February 8, raising eyebrows regarding their timing.
The Toshakhana reference stemmed from NAB’s filing on December 19, 2023, against Khan and Bushra for retaining a jewelry set gifted by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia during an official visit. Allegations suggested that the gift, which should have been deposited for transparent assessment, was not appropriately handled.
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The reference accused Bushra, in collaboration with Khan, of bypassing Toshakhana procedures and undervaluing the jewelry set to retain it at a reduced price. The evidence presented indicated a significant undervaluation during the assessment process, implying misconduct and favoritism towards the accused individuals.