Tag: Toshakhana case

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Imran Gets Breather, Toshakhana Sentence Suspended

Imran Khan was sentenced in the case days before the general elections, in what was being said as a hasty proceeding and a hasty decision to ensure Imran Khan stayed behind bars….reports
Hamza Ameer

In a major positive development for former Pakistan Premier Imran Khan and his wife, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the 14-year sentence of the former Prime Minister and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were found guilty in the Toshakhana case, a case related to mishandling and illegal means of acquiring gifts received by foreign dignitaries by Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi during their time in office.

Imran Khan was sentenced in the case days before the general elections, in what was being said as a hasty proceeding and a hasty decision to ensure Imran Khan stayed behind bars.

The verdict was initially announced by the accountability court on 31 January, which was later challenged in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which now has suspended the sentence and has allowed Imran Khan and his wife Bushra to be released on bail.

During the proceedings at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the court heard the appeal by Imran Khan’s lawyer against the 31 January 2024 verdict by the accountability court, in which Imran Khan and his wife were found guilty of misusing the state’s gift repository, sentencing Imran Khan and his wife to 14 years imprisonment while a fine of Rs 787 million each on the accused was also slapped.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) division bench, comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb took up the appeal against the sentence.

Barrister Ali Zafar represented Imran Khan while NAB prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz represented the National Accountability Board (NAB).

The relief for Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi is a big success and news for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and followers, who have been taking our protests and rallies and holding social media campaigns for the release of their leader Imran Khan, who they say has been put behind bars in false, fake and concocted cases with an intend to punish Imran Khan for standing against global powers like the United States and call out the country’s powerful military establishment for their interference in the country’s politics.

While speaking to reporters from the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Imran Khan said that his struggle has been for decades only for the rule of law and accountability.

Imran Khan said that it is the powerful establishment that has been calling the shots and trying to shut his voice down.

Khan said that the letter of the judges needs to be thoroughly investigated and all quarters who are made party be held accountable and answerable on the serious allegations.

PTI supporters say that IHC’s decision proves that cases against Imran Khan have no basis or legal justification, adding that Imran Khan is their leader and has been one of the country’s most popular leaders for his truth and bold stance against powerful political opponents, the military establishment and global powers.

ALSO READ: PTI Plans Rally for Imran Khan’s Release After Eid

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Imran Khan, Wife Indicted in Toshakhana Case

Imran Khan

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing till January 11 and directed the NAB to produce the witnesses in the case at the next proceedings….reports Asian Lite News

The Islamabad accountability court indicted former Pakistan PM and Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference, Dawn News reported on Tuesday.

During the hearing held on Tuesday at Adiala Jail, Imran, his spouse, PTI lawyers Shoaib Shaheen and Barrister Umar Niazi appeared in court. NAB prosecutors Sardar Muzaffar and Amjad Pervaiz were also in attendance.

As the proceedings commenced, accountability judge Muhammad Bashir indicted the PTI founder and his wife and read out loud the charges framed against them.

Dawn News reported that Imran denied the charges saying he was waiting for the day when he would meet the approvers, who had testified against him, claiming that people were kidnapped, after which they became witnesses.

The court subsequently adjourned the hearing till January 11 and directed the NAB to produce the witnesses in the case at the next proceedings.

Separately, the judge also reserved the verdict in the 190 million-pound reference.

The case alleged that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd. for legalising Rs50bn that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

The reference filed by NAB said Imran played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”.

It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to give information on one pretext or another.

According to the Dawn News report, copies of the case record were given to Bushra Bibi. Imran was handed over the copies during yesterday’s hearing. The judge said charges would be framed against the suspects on January 17 and adjourned the case.

The court also rejected Imran’s post-arrest bails in both the Toshakhana and 190 million pounds references.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, the PTI leader said it was alleged in the Toshakhana reference that he used his office boy as the prime minister for corruption of millions and billions of rupees.

“Being the premier, I used no one else but the office boy […] how is that possible?” Imran asked, adding that two persons, including an office boy, were made approvers against him.

“Is this society running on [the concept] of Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good)?” he further questioned, adding, “I am being punished for trying to bring the mighty under the law.”

On December 19, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a fresh reference against Imran and his wife in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment.

The anti-graft watchdog alleged in the reference that during his term as prime minister, Imran and his wife had received a total of 108 gifts from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

“Out of these 108 gifts, the accused persons retained 58 gift boxes or sets against an undervalued amount of PKR 142.1 million as assessed by appraisers,” the reference stated. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran Set to be Released After Pak SC Confirms Bail

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Islamabad High Court Suspends Imran’s Sentence in Toshakhana Case

Imran Khan

The trial court verdict also added that Khan would serve at least six-months more jail term if he fails to pay the fine…reports Asian Lite News

In a major relief to Imran Khan, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the former Prime Minister’s sentence in the Toshakhana case and ordered his release from jail.

A division bench of the IHC, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Tariq Mehmood Jahangir, announced the short order, declaring the conviction of in the case as suspended. 

As per the order, the former premier has been directed to submit surety bond worth 100,000 PKR and a guarantee of at least one person for his release. 

Addressing mediapersons outside the IHC, Khan’s lawyer Babar Awaz said that after suspension of the trial court verdict, his position as the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has also been reinstated. 

“After the suspension of trial court order, Imran Khan can no longer be kept at the Attock Jail. Also, after the court order, Imran Khan’s position as the party chief also stands reinstated. After this, PTI and Imran Khan will move towards elections,” Awaz was quoted as saying. 

Khan was arrested on August 5 from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore after a trial court issued its verdict in the Toshakhana case, finding the PTI chief guilty of opting to corrupt practices for personal gains using his office and its powers.

It sentenced him to three years in jail and imposed a fine of 100,000 PKR.

The trial court verdict also added that Khan would serve at least six-months more jail term if he fails to pay the fine. 

In the wake of Tuesday’s verdict, the PTI leadership and supporters are in celebration mode as they termed the decision of the IHC as their victory.

However, legal experts say that the IHC has not cancelled Khan’s conviction or disqualification, but has suspended it and issued a bail, adding that trouble was not yet over for the former Prime Minister. 

“The IHC has suspended Imran Khan’s sentence. It has not cancelled the case, nor has it ended the Toshakhana case against him. The suspension of the trial court means that there would be a re-trial into the case and PTI would file an appeal in the same case as well. Therefore, Imran Khan’s disqualification and conviction still stands and would be later decided in the re-trial proceedings”, said Hafiz Ahsan Ahmed Khokar, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. 

The IHC verdict is based on the merits of the case and its trial at the session court.

The court had earlier stated that the merits of the case were not considered, and witnesses of Khan were also not allowed to record their statements, making the whole trial process a missed trial. 

Meanwhile, Khan is still declared as arrested in two other cases — the 9 May riots and Cipher case.

It is believed that he might be be kept in Attock Jail or may be moved into another prison as per his arrest in the other cases. 

ALSO READ-Imran Acquitted of Murder Abetment Charges

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Imran Khan gets 3-year jail, arrested from Lahore

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on Saturday from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case.

In a major development, a district and sessions court earlier on Saturday convicted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman in the Toshakhana case, sentencing him to three years in prison, Geo News reported.

Rejecting Khan’s petition seeking inadmissibility of the case, Additional and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar sentenced the former premier to three-year imprisonment.

“Charges of misdeclaration of assets have been proven against PTI chairman,” Judge Dilawar mentioned in his judgment.

He then handed Khan three years in jail along with a fine of 100,000 PKR, while issuing his arrest warrant.

The former prime minister had challenged the Toshakhana case, related to the alleged misdeclaration of gifts he took from the state gifts repository, on several forums including the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court (IHC), Geo News reported.

The trial court had summoned Khan in his personal capacity on Saturday for a hearing in the Toshakhana case after the high court rejected his pleas challenging the maintainability order.

On Friday, the IHC also turned down Khan’s request to transfer the case to another court and directed Judge Dilawar to continue hearing the case.

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Imran dodges arrest in Toshakhana case

When the Islamabad Police arrived at Imran Khan’s residence, they found a horde of PTI supporters along with party leaders saying PTI chief was “unavailable”…reports Asian Lite News

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday dodged arrest as Islamabad Police showed up at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore with court summons to take him into custody for his persistent absences from Toshakhana court hearings, media reports said.

The 70-year-old former Prime Minister, who has been recovering from a gunshot injury from an assassination attempt last year, has thrice skipped indictment hearings in an Islamabad sessions court in the case, Dawn reported.

When the Islamabad Police along with their Punjab Police counterparts arrived at Imran Khan’s residence just after noon on Sunday, they found a horde of PTI supporters along with party leaders, and were informed that the PTI chief was “unavailable”, it said.

With PTI workers outnumbering the police contingent, and despite Islamabad police chief earlier saying that they won’t go back empty-handed, the arrest could not be made.

As Imran Khan’s whereabouts were debated upon, he ended the hours-long mystery by addressing a televised party event right from the Zaman Park residence.

Addressing the crowd of PTI loyalists, he said he had never “bowed before any man or institution, and will never let you do so as well”.

Imran Khan said he had called the public to Zaman Park to pay tribute to them for the way they participated in the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (court arrest movement). “I did not call you for my support but to thank you,” he added, Dawn reported.

He is accused of concealing, in his assets declarations, details of the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana – a repository where presents handed to government officials from foreign officials are kept. Officials are legally allowed to retain gifts provided they pay a pre-assessed amount, typically a fraction of the value of the gift, Dawn reported.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, the Islamabad Police said an operation to arrest Imran was being conducted with the cooperation of the Lahore police.

It stated that the PTI chief was “avoiding” arrest, adding that the Superintendent of Police had “gone into Imran’s room but he was not present there”, Dawn reported.

ALSO READ: Pak police at Imran’s residence to arrest him