The Accountability Court has released a detailed verdict in the Toshakhana case, finding Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife Bushra Bibi guilty of misusing their positions for financial gain.
The case pertained to embezzling billions of rupees from the national exchequer by obtaining valuable gifts from the Toshakhana against regulations during his tenure.
Key points:
- Khan and Bibi received 14 years of imprisonment each with hard labour for misusing the Prime Minister's Office to obtain over Rs1.57 billion in financial benefits.
- They were fined Rs787 million each.
- Evidence showed they received 108 gifts from foreign leaders, including expensive Graff jewellery from the Saudi Crown Prince, which was undervalued and not deposited in the Toshakhana by Bushra Bibi. Substantial evidence was adduced by the prosecution, the judgment stated.
- The court deemed Khan's behaviour during the trial inappropriate and accused him of using delaying tactics.
Details of the verdict:
The 108-page verdict, issued by Judge Muhammad Bashir, states that Khan and Bibi misused their positions to obtain valuable gifts from foreign leaders. One key example is an expensive Graff jewellery set received from the Saudi Crown Prince, valued at over Rs3.16 billion but declared at only Rs9 million. This undervaluation resulted in a loss of over Rs1.57 billion to the national exchequer.
Sohaib Abbasi, who determined the value of the jewellery set, said the price was reduced on the request of the former prime minister.
The court also cited Khan's behaviour during the trial as a factor in its decision. Judge Bashir criticized his use of delaying tactics and deemed his overall conduct "inappropriate". Bushra Bibi recorded her statement, but Imran Khan continued to use delaying tactics.
Sentencing and implications:
Both Khan and Bibi have been sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment with hard labour and a fine of Rs787 million each. The verdict carries significant political implications, potentially barring Khan from contesting future elections due to disqualification clauses.
According to the judgment, the fine amount will be recoverable in the form of tax arrears, while the time spent in jail will be considered part of the punishment.
