Imran, Bushra's physical remand extended by 11 days in new Toshakhana case

An accountability court on Thursday extended physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by 11 days in a new Toshakhana case.

The couple was produced in the makeshift courtroom setup at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail today after the lapse of their ten-day physical remand in the case.

Deputy Director National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Mohsin Haroon accompanied Prosecutor General Muzaffar Abbasi before the court of judge Nasir Javed Rana, praying the court to grant a 14-day remand of the PTI founder and his spouse.

However, the court approved the 11-day physical remand and adjourned the hearing until August 19.

A NAB team led by Assistant Director Umar Wasim on August 6 interrogated Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case at the Adiala facility, jail sources had told The News, adding that later, NAB official Haroon, along with his colleagues, also joined the investigation. The two teams of the NAB officials remained at the jail for six hours probing the new reference against the former first couple.

The couple was arrested in the new Toshakhana case after a district and sessions court of Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka on July 13 acquitted them in the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case

The pair had been sentenced to seven years in prison and awarded a fine of Rs500,000 each, in February earlier this year after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent as Khawar Maneka, Bushra's ex-husband, moved the court against the couple's marriage.

Just hours after their conviction was overturned, two teams of the Lahore police and the anti-corruption watchdog headed by Deputy Director Mohsin Haroon appeared at the Adiala Jail and "declared them arrested".

According to them, the NAB launched against them a new reference regarding the alleged "misuse of power for acquiring Toshakhana gifts".

A day later on July 14, the accountability court approved an eight-day physical remand of both of them in the new reference.

Separately, the same court led by judge Nasir Javed Rana heard the 190 million pound reference against the embattled PTI founder and his wife. However, the judge adjourned the hearing till August 12 as the couple's counsels did not appear for the proceedings.