ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, who are currently incarcerated at Adiala jail, have both filed separate post-arrest bail applications in connection with a new Toshakhana case.
The bail pleas, submitted through Barrister Salman Safdar, made the state and chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as parties to the case. They are filed under Section 9(b) of the NAB Ordinance 1999 and Section 497 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), requesting the accountability court to grant bail to the couple in the “interest of justice and fair play.”
This development follows their judicial remand in Adiala Jail over the Toshakhana reference filed by NAB last week. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were arrested on July 13, shortly after being acquitted in the iddat case by a district and sessions court in Islamabad, which had been the final obstacle to their release before the new cases emerged.
The new reference, filed by NAB investigation officer Mohsin Haroon and case officer Waqar Hassan, includes two volumes and will be reviewed by the registrar of the accountability courts. Once any objections are resolved, the reference will be forwarded to the administrative judge of the accountability court.
The administrative judge will then decide whether to hear the case personally or transfer it to another court. Notably, Administrative Judge Nasir Javed Rana is currently presiding over the £190 million reference against Imran Khan.
Earlier on Wednesday, the divisional bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi please challenging their arrest in a new Toshakhana corruption case.
The divisional bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprised of Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar, heard the pleas and declared it ineffective.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were arrested on July 13 in connection with a new NAB reference related to Toshakhana, shortly after their acquittal in the Iddat case.
Imran Khan, aged 71, has been incarcerated at Adiala Jail for over a year following now either suspended or squashed convictions in four cases: two Toshakhana references, the cipher case, and the Iddat case.
