A special court on Thursday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana-II case.
Former prime minister Imran and Bushra Bibi both appeared before Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand at Adiala Jail, where the charges were read out. The hearing was then adjourned until December 18.
The case, initially investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was later transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) following amendments to the NAB laws.
The FIA submitted its findings to the court in September 2024. Prior indictment proceedings on December 5 and December 10 had been deferred without progress.
The allegations stem from claims that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi unlawfully retained state gifts without meeting legal requirements.
According to the NAB reference, Bushra Bibi received a Bulgari jewelry set during an official visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 10, 2021. The set included a necklace, bracelet, ring, and earrings.
The jewelry was not deposited with Toshakhana as required. Instead, the necklace and earrings were allegedly sold to the Saudi Arabian franchise Solugent Trading on May 25, 2021, for €300,000 and €80,000, respectively. The values of the bracelet and ring were not disclosed.
On May 28, 2021, the total value of the jewelry set was assessed at Rs75,661,600, with the necklace valued at Rs56,496,000 and the earrings at Rs15,065,600. Under Toshakhana rules, retaining such gifts required payment of 50% of the assessed value, amounting to Rs35,765,800.
NAB claimed the jewelry was undervalued, causing a loss of Rs32,851,300 to the national treasury. The reference accused the couple of violating Section 9 and Subsections 3, 4, 6, and 12 of the NAB Ordinance 1999. The case will resume on December 18.
