In a major relief days before of PTI’s much-hyped “do-or-die protest” in Islamabad, Imran Khan gets bail in a new Toshakhana case but his release from prison is uncertain as he is booked in other cases related to May 9 violent protests.
IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb accepted the PTI founder’s post-arrest bail plea in the case involving state gifts subject to furnishing two bonds of Rs1 million each.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a fresh Toshakhana reference against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for retaining a jewellery set gifted by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in August this year.
It has multiple versions and charges that all revolve around allegations that the embattled politician and his wife illegal procured and then sold gifts worth more than Rs140 million in state possession, which he received during his 2018-2022 premiership.
It is pertinent to mention here that the couple was taken into custody in the new Toshakhana case on July 13, hours after a district and sessions court in Islamabad had acquitted them in the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case — which was considered the last hurdle in the couple’s release from jail before the filing of the new cases.
Reacting to the fresh relief to Khan from the IHC, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, while talking to Geo News, ruled out possibility of immediate release of the PTI founder, saying that he yet to secure bail in eight other cases too.
Major cases keeping Khan in prison
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I — one of the dozens cases registered against the former premier since his ouster from power in April 2022.
Cipher case
On March 27, 2022, Khan — less than a month before his ouster in April 2022 via a no-trust motion — while addressing a public rally waved a letter before the crowd, claiming that it was a cipher from a foreign nation that had conspired with his political rivals to have PTI government overthrown.
Few days later, he accused the US of conspiring against him and alleged that then assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia Affairs Donald Lu had sought his removal. The cipher was about former Pakistan ambassador to the US Majeed’s meeting with Lu.
In August 2023, the Federal Investigation Agency filed a first information report (FIR) against Imran and Qureshi under the Official Secrets Act.
Special court judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain handed down a sentence of 10 years each to Khan and Qureshi.
The IHC, however, annulled the PTI leaders’ conviction in the cipher case containing charges of misusing and misplacing the classified diplomatic document in June, 2024.
Iddat case
The PTI founder and his wife were sentenced to seven years in prison and awarded a fine of Rs500,000 each, in February 2024, after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent as Khawar Maneka, Bushra’s ex-husband, moved the court against the couple’s marriage.
After months of their continuing legal woes, Khan and his got much relief as a district and sessions court in July 2024 accepted their pleas seeking annulment of their conviction in the iddat case.
Stressing Maneka’s failure to prove his case against both Khan and Bushra, the court said: “They [Khan and Bushra] are directed to be released forthwith if not required to be detained in any other case.”
GHQ attack case
Khan — the founding chairman of PTI — is facing a string of cases, including those related to May 9 mayhem across the country. Dozens of cases were filed against khan and the PTI leadership after the violent protests that shocked the country.
The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after the deposed prime minister’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their alleged involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.
During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
The PTI founder, however blames the “agencies men” for arson and shooting in some areas during the May 9 violent protests.
Toshakhana case-I
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million ($635,000).
The gifts included watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who have alleged previously that Khan’s aides sold them in Dubai.
Moreover, seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the most expensive a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at Rs85 ($385,000), were also among the gifts.
A reference was forwarded by then National Assembly speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf to the Election Commission asking it to probe the matter.
The electoral body then declared the former premier guilty of corrupt practices and filed a complaint in an Islamabad court.
On July 31, 2024, the accountability court in the federal capital sentenced the former prime minister and his spouse to 14 years in prison with rigorous punishment in the state gifts case. In addition to this, the court disqualified the former prime minister for 10 years while handing over a fine of Rs1.57 billion — Rs787 million each — to the couple.
Previously, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in August 2023 had disqualified Khan for five years from holding any public office following the trial court’s verdict in the Toshakahana case.
In a notification, the electoral watchdog stated that the PTI chief was disqualified after being found guilty of corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act, 2017 and his sentencing for three years.
It also stated that the ECP has de-notified Khan as the “returned candidate” from NA-45 Kurram-l.
Attempted murder case
Last month, the jailed PTI founder and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur were booked in attempted murder case after a capital city cop died of wounds sustained as a result of alleged violence by the party’s activists during the protest in Islamabad.
The case was registered on the state’s behalf at federal capital’s Noon Police Station under 12 sections including attempted murder, arson, attack on the state and violence against police personnel as well as anti-terrorism act (ATA).
Islamabad Capital Territory Police’s Constable Abdul Hameed was allegedly attacked by miscreants during PTI’s D Chowk protest while he was performing his duty at the Chungi Number 26 on GT Road on October 4.
At least five cases were filed against Khan after the D Chowk protest, according to reports.
Al-Qadir Trust case
In May, 2024, the IHC approved the PTI founder’s bail petition in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference.
In December last year, the NAB had filed a £190 million NCA reference against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi and others.
The PTI chairman is facing corruption charges of billions of rupees in a case also involving a property tycoon.
Khan — along with his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders — are facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and the property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.
As per the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.
They are also accused of getting undue benefit in the form of over 458 kanals of land at Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, to establish Al Qadir University.
During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from the property tycoon in Britain.
The UK agency said the assets would be passed to the government of Pakistan and the settlement with the Pakistani property tycoon was “a civil matter, and does not represent a finding of guilt”.
Subsequently, then-prime minister Khan got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.
It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.
Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the agreement with the property tycoon.
Header — Reuters image illustrated by Geo.tv.
