The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended the 14-year sentences handed to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana reference. However, the couple will not be released as they face convictions in other cases.
Imran and Bushra Bibi were sentenced in the Toshakhana reference by an Islamabad accountability court on January 31, just days before the general elections. The verdict prohibited them from holding any public office for ten years and imposed a fine of Rs787 million each.
The reference was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December, alleging that during Imran’s tenure as prime minister, the couple retained a jewelry set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment.
Following today’s hearing at the IHC, Imran’s counsel Barrister Ali Zafar expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating that the “scales of justice have started heading in the right direction.” He argued that there was no evidence behind the conviction and criticized the jail trial as unlawful, claiming that their counsels were not allowed to appear.
During the hearing, the IHC suspended the sentences of Imran and Bushra Bibi based on the NAB prosecutor’s statement. However, the court clarified that the appeal against the conviction would be heard after Eidul Fitr.
The Toshakhana case is one of several legal battles faced by Imran and Bushra Bibi. They were also sentenced to seven years in jail in a case related to their marriage during the latter’s Iddat period. Additionally, Imran and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi were sentenced to ten years in prison for breaching state secrets.
