ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a fresh Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a case related to a jewelry set gifted by the Saudi Crown Prince.
The development follows the anti-graft body’s interrogation of the former prime minister and his wife at Adiala jail, according to the reference.
The reference — comprising two volumes — was submitted by NAB Investigation Officer Mohsin Haroon and Case Officer Waqar Hassan in an accountability court.
The fresh reference will now be reviewed by the registrar of the accountability courts. After addressing any objections, it will be sent to the administrative judge of the accountability court.
The administrative judge will then decide whether to conduct the hearing himself or transfer it to another accountability court.
It should be noted that Administrative Judge Nasir Javed Rana is already hearing the £190 million reference against the PTI founder.
The couple was arrested in the new Toshakhana case on July 13, hours after a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted them in the “iddat case” — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case — which had been the last hurdle in their release from jail before the filing of new charges.
A day earlier, the accountability court had sent the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi to jail on a 15-day judicial remand in another new Toshakhana reference after the NAB completed its probe.
During the hearing of the other reference on Monday, the couple submitted their responses to the NAB questionnaire.
The August 19 hearing, held at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, was presided over by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana.
Khan has been behind bars since August last year after being sentenced in the Toshakhana criminal case and later in other cases, with the elections scheduled for February 8 looming.
Despite receiving relief in several cases, the former premier’s legal troubles continue, as he faces charges in numerous other cases, including those related to the May 9 unrest, when alleged PTI supporters attacked and vandalized state properties, including military installations, following his arrest in a corruption case.
The new NAB reference pertains to a jewelry set gifted to former First Lady Bushra Bibi by the Saudi Crown Prince during Khan’s tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
The jewelry set — including a ring, bracelet, necklace, and a pair of earrings — was gifted to her during her visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021, according to the NAB reference.
The reference states that the PTI founder and his wife illegally retained the jewelry set.
It adds that the Deputy Military Secretary had briefed the Toshakhana section officer to estimate and declare the price of the set. However, the jewelry was never deposited in Toshakhana.
The jewelry company sold the necklace for €300,000 and the earrings for €80,000 on May 25, 2018. The price information for the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.
On May 28, 2021, the value of the jewelry set was estimated at Rs70.56 million, with the necklace priced at Rs50.64 million, and the earrings valued at Rs10.50 million.
According to the rules, 50% of the jewelry set’s price — approximately Rs30.57 million — should have been deposited.
As a result, the national exchequer suffered a loss of approximately Rs30.28 million due to the undervaluation of the jewelry.
The reference further claims that the PTI founder and his wife violated the NAB Ordinance. An inquiry against the former first couple was initiated on August 1, 2022, following instructions from the NAB chairman.
“PTI founder and Bushra Bibi have misused their powers. The PTI founder retained 58 out of 108 gifts during his tenure as prime minister,” the reference concludes.
Read more:
