IHC issues detailed judgment in Toshakhana-II case, grants bail to Imran Khan
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a detailed 14-page judgment in the Toshakhana-II case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, emphasizing that further investigation is necessary before pursuing legal action. The court granted bail to the former prime minister, who had been in custody for over four months.
The judgment, authored by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, clarified that no legal grounds exist for prosecuting Imran Khan under the current Toshakhana rules for not depositing a Bulgari jewellery set in the state repository. According to the court, the 2018 Toshakhana rules required individuals to submit a receipt for gifts, not necessarily the gifts themselves. Therefore, any criminal charges for failing to deposit the gift lack legal justification.
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The case initially centered around allegations that Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, caused a loss of over Rs32.8 million to the national treasury by undervaluing a luxury jewellery set. However, the court ruled that the recently introduced 2023 rule, which mandates depositing gifts in Toshakhana, cannot be applied retroactively to incidents from previous years.
The judgment also addressed the prosecution’s claim that Imran Khan influenced the valuation process through threats or pressure. The court found no evidence to support these accusations, further weakening the case against the former premier. The court noted that a key witness, Sohaib Abbasi, was granted immunity by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), but it remains unclear whether the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has endorsed this pardon.
Granting bail to the 72-year-old PTI chairman, the IHC instructed him to attend all upcoming trial proceedings. The court cautioned that failure to comply with this directive could lead to the cancellation of his bail.
The IHC also acknowledged that the case is unlikely to conclude anytime soon, as the prosecution has already gathered all relevant evidence. The court’s judgment suggests that the case may continue for an extended period.
Earlier, on November 22, 2024, Special Central Judge Shahrukh Arjumand issued Imran Khan’s release order following the IHC’s decision to grant bail. The court confirmed that Imran Khan was not wanted in any other cases and should be released upon submission of Rs1 million surety bonds by his guarantors, Tariq Noon and Raja Ghulam Sajjad.
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