New Toshakhana case against Imran, spouse accepted for hearing

ISLAMABAD: The Administrative Judge of the Accountability Court in Islamabad, Nasir Javed Rana, has accepted a new Toshakhana reference against the founder of PTI and Bushra Bibi for hearing and transferred the case to Accountability Court No. 2.

The hearing on the reference was conducted by Judge Muhammad Ali of Accountability Court No. 2.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the new Toshakhana reference against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi regarding a jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince. According to the reference, Bushra Bibi had received the jewellery set during a visit to Saudi Arabia from May 7 to 10, 2021. The set included a ring, bracelet, necklace, and a pair of earrings. Evidence gathered during the investigation revealed that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi had illegally retained the jewellery set.

On May 18, 2021, the deputy military secretary had informed the section officer of Toshakhana to estimate and declare the value of the jewellery, but it was never submitted.

According to the investigation, the necklace was sold for 300,000 euros and the earrings for 80,000 euros by Solvent Trading in Saudi Arabia on May 25, 2021. However, the prices of the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.

As of May 28, 2021, the total value of the jewellery set was approximately Rs75,661,600, with the necklace alone valued at Rs56,496,000 and the earrings at Rs15,065,600.

According to Toshakhana rules, recipients are required to pay 50% of the assessed value if they wish to retain a gift. In this case, the payable amount was Rs35,765,800.

However, by underestimating the jewellery set, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs32,851,300.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are accused of violating Section 9 and Sub-sections 3, 4, 6, and 12 of the NAB Ordinance 1999. An inquiry was launched against them on August 1, 2022, following instructions from the NAB chairman. It was also alleged that Imran Khan had misused his powers, retaining 58 out of 108 gifts received during his tenure as prime minister.