On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the 14-year sentences given to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference. However, they will not be released as they have been convicted in other cases.
Imran and Bushra Bibi were embroiled in a complex legal battle, with the Toshakhana reference being just one facet. They were sentenced by an Islamabad accountability court on January 31, before the general elections. The court barred them from holding any public office for ten years and fined them a staggering Rs787 million each. A day later, they were also sentenced to seven years in jail in a case related to their marriage during the latter’s Iddat period. Prior to this, a special court had also sentenced Imran and his foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, to 10 years in prison for the breach of state secrets.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference against Imran and Bushra Bibi in December for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment. The anti-graft watchdog had alleged that they had received 108 gifts from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries during Imran’s term as prime minister.
Bushra Bibi challenged her conviction on February 17, and the IHC admitted the appeal against their conviction on February 27 and requisitioned records related to the trial court proceedings by March 7.
Today’s hearing presided over by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, saw the crucial role of NAB prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz. Barrister Ali Zafar appeared as the counsel for the ex-premier and his spouse. It was the NAB prosecutor’s statement that led the court to suspend the sentences of Imran and Bushra, underscoring the importance of his position in the proceedings.
Judge Mohammad Bashir had already closed the right of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses and asked Imran and Bushra to record their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. While Bushra Bibi had recorded her statement in the case, Imran could not. Following the verdict’s announcement, Bushra arrived at Adiala Jail to surrender to the authorities following the court’s directives. However, she was moved to Imran’s Bani Gala home after it was declared sub-jail in a late-night notification.
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