ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will Monday (today) take up the petitions filed by Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi challenging call-up notices issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Toshakhana case. A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz will conduct hearing of both the petitions filed against the NAB notices in alleged corrupt practices of retaining state gifts.
Imran Khan and his spouse moved the court through their counsel Khawaja Haris Advocate and Barrister Gohar Ali challenging the legality and vires of NAB call-up notice upon them in Toshakhana Inquiry case. They challenged the NAB case initiated against them for retaining and ‘illegally’ selling the Toshakhana gifts. The NAB issued notices to Khan and Bushra for retaining state gifts.The anti-corruption watchdog sought details from them including wristwatches and a mobile phone, presented to Khan by various foreign dignitaries.
The bureau also sought details of jewellery sets presented to Ms Bushra, including a Rolex watch, a gold and diamond locket presented by Emir of Qatar, two necklace sets gifted by the Saudi crown prince on September 18, 2020, and May 21, 2021, respectively. In the identical petitions, the petitioners prayed to the court that NAB had issued the notice in violation of Section 19 of the National Accountability Ordinance. “The contents of the call-up notice unambiguously establish that the respondents [NAB] have, through their impugned notice, initiated a fishing exercise, rather than complying with the provision of law before issuing the same,” the petitions said. It requested the court to declare the NAB notice illegal.
The former first lady challenged the summons notices issued by the NAB and requested the court to declare the notices from February 16 and 17 as illegal. She requested that the NAB inquiry be stopped from being converted into an investigation until a decision is taken on the application in which NAB has also been made a party. She prayed that until a decision is taken on the application, NAB should be ordered to stop taking disciplinary action against her.