Toshakhana Verdict Suspended On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) halted the 14-year prison terms imposed on ex-prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case.
However, their release is not imminent due to their convictions in other cases.
Imran and Bushra Bibi received their sentences in the Toshakhana case from an Islamabad accountability court on January 31, just days before the general elections. The verdict stipulated a 10-year ban on holding public office for both Imran and Bushra, along with a fine of Rs787 million each.
A day later, they were handed seven-year prison terms in a case related to their marriage during Bushra’s Iddat period. Prior to this, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced Imran and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to 10 years in prison for breaching state secrets.
The case against them was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December, alleging that they retained a jewelry set received from the Saudi crown prince without proper valuation. NAB claimed that during Imran’s tenure as prime minister, they received a total of 108 gifts from various heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
Bushra Bibi challenged her conviction on February 17, a day after Imran did the same in the cipher and Toshakhana cases. She also contested a government notification that declared her Banigala residence as a sub-jail following the verdict.
On February 27, the IHC accepted their appeals against the conviction and requested trial court records by March 7.
The IHC division bench also considered applications seeking suspension of their sentences until final decisions were made on their appeals. Initially, objections raised by the registrar’s office against the petitions were dismissed.
In March, the IHC questioned whether authorities obtained Imran’s consent before converting his Bani Gala residence into a sub-jail for Bushra Bibi.
After today’s hearing, Imran’s lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar praised the IHC for “delivering justice,” stating that the “scales of justice have begun to tilt in the right direction.”