Imran Khan cannot be tried for failing to deposit gift in Toshakhana: Pak IHC

Islamabad [Pakistan]January 7: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot be prosecuted under the amended Toshakhana rules for failing to deposit a Bulgari jewelry set gifted by the Saudi Crown Prince , Dawn reported.

In a detailed 14-page judgment, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb said the 2023 amendments introducing sanctions for failure to submit gifts to the public exchequer cannot be applied retrospectively. The court clarified that under the Toshakhana Rules, 2018, only the submission of a receipt, and not the gift itself, was mandatory.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had filed criminal cases against Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, accusing them of undervaluing the jewelry and causing a loss of Rs 32.8 million to the exchequer national.

However, the court noted that there were no allegations of “direct threats or pressure” from Khan regarding the undervaluation process. The defense argued that Khan complied with the 2018 rules by submitting the required receipt, and the court found no evidence to suggest otherwise.

Justice Aurangzeb observed significant delays in the trial, pointing out that Khan, although he had been detained for more than four months, had not yet been charged, Dawn reported.

The investigation, initially led by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was later transferred to the FIA, but the trial court made little progress. The court stressed the need to respect bail conditions, requiring Khan to attend all hearings and warning that “misuse of bail may lead to its cancellation.”

At the special court handling the Toshakhana case, the FIA ​​prosecutor completed the cross-examination of Section Officer Toshakhana Bin Yamin, while Mohammad Ahad, Deputy Secretary of the Coordination Wing of the Cabinet Division , also testified. A total of three witnesses testified during the hearing, and four other prosecution witnesses were summoned for the next hearing, scheduled for January 8.

Separately, the much-anticipated verdict in the £190 million corruption case involving Khan was once again delayed due to the absence of Justice Nasir Javed Rana from the accountability court. The decision, initially reserved for December 18, is now expected on January 13.

The NAB alleged that Khan's office approved a confidential act in 2019 to return £190 million, seized by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), from property tycoon Malik Riaz.

The NAB further alleged that Khan and his wife abused their authority to facilitate this transaction and received billions of rupees and vast land holdings in return, Dawn reported.

According to NAB, Malik Riaz's son transferred 240 kanals of land to Farah Shahzadi, while Zulfi Bukhari received land under a trust which did not exist at the time of transfer. The NAB argued that the trust was created only after the funds were adjusted, raising questions about its legitimacy.

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor.

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