Imran Khan, wife sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in Toshakhana case
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana reference.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a fresh reference in an accountability court for retaining a jewellery set received from Saudi crown prince from the gift depository. An accountability court had indicted them in the reference earlier this month.
Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir conducted the hearing at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where the former prime has been incarcerated facing trial in multiple cases.
According to the verdict, Imran Khan his wife were barred from holding any public office for 10 years and slapped with a fine of Rs787 million each. The PTI founder was presented during the hearing while his wife did not appear before the court.
During the hearing today, the former prime minister marked his attendance and was told to submit his statement.
He replied that his statement was in the prison room and he was called for marking attendance. He was then told to submit his statement immediately and “not waste the court’s time”.
“Why are you in a hurry? Even yesterday, the conviction was announced in haste,” the ex-prime minister said. “My lawyers are not here yet. I will submit the statement after showing it to them when they come.”
He then exited the courtroom, after which the court sentenced the ex-premier and his wife in absentia. Following the verdict’s announcement, Bushra arrived at Adiala Jail and was taken into custody by the anti-graft watchdog.
A day earlier, the judge closed the right of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses and asked Imran and his spouse to record their statements under Section 342 (power to examine the accused) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Bushra Bibi recorded her statement in the Toshakhana case, though Imran could not. During that hearing, Imran’s legal team had requested the court to restore the right of cross-examination but was turned down by Judge Bashir.
The verdict comes eight days before the February 8 general elections, which the PTI is contesting amid a state crackdown and without an electoral symbol.
It also comes just a day after a special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced Imran and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets.