Imran Khan continues to remain behind bars as he has other cases registered against him while Bushra Bibi remains out of prison…reports Asian Lite News
A special court in Islamabad on Thursday indicted former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the new Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.
Special Court Central-I Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand, who presided over the hearing at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, framed the charges on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had initially filed the case. Considering the NAB Amendments, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took over the case and filed its challan in September, according to Geo News report. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have received bail in the case.
Imran Khan continues to remain behind bars as he has other cases registered against him while Bushra Bibi remains out of prison. The couple, who is accused of causing loss to the national exchequer through illegal sale of gifts, was arrested in the said case on July 13, the same day when they were acquitted in the iddat case, Geo News reported.
Last week, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi indicted Imran Khan and other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with the May 9 attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in 2023, The Express Tribune reported.
The attack took place during the protests that erupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest. ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted a hearing for the GHQ attack case at a makeshift court setup in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.More than 100 individuals, including Omar Ayub, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Sheikh Rashid, Omar Ayub, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul have been indicted in the case, according to The Express Tribune report.
After the judge announced his decision, opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, was arrested, while Punjab’s former law minister Raja Basharat was taken into custody immediately after leaving the jail.Subsequently, the judge adjourned the case until December 10.
Earlier, several PTI leaders including Sadaqat Abbasi, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Mohammad Ahmed Chatha, Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Rashid Shafiq, Sadaqat Abbasi, Waseem Qayyum Abbasi, Javed Kausar, Sajid Qureshi, and Usman Dar, reached Adiala Jail for the hearing.
The court had summoned all accused in the GHQ attack case, with charges expected to be formally brought against 120 individuals, including Imran Khan, The Express Tribune reported. Furthermore, the court has ordered Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is incarcerated in Lahore Jail, to appear before the court.
The court ordered that arrests be made for several PTI leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, Shireen Mazari, Zartaj Gul, Zain Qureshi, and Taiba Raja.In addition, arrest warrants were issued for 45 absconding accused, with the court warning that legal proceedings would start to declare them fugitives if they did not appear before the court.
Vawda believes Imran Khan will not come out of prison
Pakistan’s Senator Faisal Vawda believes that former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will not come out of prison as too much time has passed, The Express Tribune reported.
He hoped that the matter involving former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) General (retd) Faiz Hameed and his associates would not result in the death penalty.
During a private TV programme, Vawda said that a charge sheet has been prepared against Hameed and now punishments will be determined. He said, “Faiz Hameed has provided evidence and proof,” The Express Tribune reported.
Vawda stressed the importance of the assassination attempt case against Imran Khan. He further said that another case will appear that will shake the position of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder.
He stated, “Space must be created and negotiated through dialogue.” He claimed that no one has addressed the theft of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Vawda said, “No one has addressed the theft of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s mandate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Before the assassination attempt on the PTI founder, he was warned about the impending attack.”
He questioned who benefitted most due to the assassination attempt. He asked, “Who was supposed to gain? When evidence is provided, including laptops, and phones, everything will come to light.”
Claiming the involvement of another person in the assassination attempt, Faisal Vawda said, “It will also come forward. This person is currently very close to the PTI founder and was involved in the attack.” He said that blame could also be placed on Pakistan’s former chief of army staff, Qamar Bajwa. However, it becomes difficult when two powerful figures join forces.
Vawda said, “When the Prime Minister and DG ISI are aligned, what could the army chief have done?” He accused Imran Khan of using Faiz Hameed, The Express Tribune report.
He further said, “Credit should be given to the army chief, as no powerful figure can escape justice. Why are Murad Saeed and Hammad Azhar hiding and not coming forward?” He also said that several respected Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) members were no longer in party. (ANI)
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