On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Secretary of the Interior in response to pleas from Imran Khan, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), challenging his jail trial in reference to the Toshakhana gift and £190 million embezzlement cases.
The IHC declared the pleas admissible and directed the NAB and Secretary to provide a response by January 22. The court scheduled the case for a hearing on Monday, assigning it to an available bench. The hearing was conducted by IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Tahir.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, argued that the NAB filed the Toshakhana case in the accountability court on November 20, and the prison trial notification was issued a month before the reference filing. He stated that hearings for the Toshakhana reference had been ongoing since December 23, 2023.
Justice Miangul Hassan questioned the timing of the challenge, asking why it was filed in January when the notification was issued in November. Khosa explained that they became aware of the reference only after a summons was issued to his client.
The judge emphasized the need to ensure the correctness of the case process, stating that whether the trial occurred in court or jail did not matter. Khosa argued that there was no suggestion from the concerned judge for a prison trial due to security reasons.
Justice Miangul Hassan mentioned a pre-existing judicial order on the matter and stated that it was important to ensure the proper process. Khosa challenged the appointment of the accountability judge, claiming he was on deputation and nearing retirement, with only the former prime minister’s cases being expedited.
Justice Miangul highlighted the significance of Toshakhana as a government safe, stating that gifts in Toshakhana were state properties and should remain with the government. He mentioned the sale of articles from Toshakhana and indicated that an order would be issued regarding this issue.
The judge suggested that politicians should return gifts to the state. The discussion also touched upon the federal government’s stance on the reference and the alleged expedited handling of only the former prime minister’s cases. On January 9, Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi were indicted in the Toshakhana reference by an accountability court during a hearing in Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is currently held.
