Imran Khan's Toshakhana Sentence Suspended: PTI Lauds ‘Brave 6 HC Judges’, Seeks His Release | Exclusive

As a Pakistan high court on Monday suspended the 14-year sentence given to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana corruption case, his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sought their release.

The two were sentenced in the case by an Islamabad accountability court on January 31, days before the general elections.

The PTI has termed the earlier trial as one “conducted by a kangaroo court”. The party has demanded that every case and sentence against Khan be cancelled. “The brave six judges have proved interference in cases involving Khan and Bibi. We demand immediate release of Khan, Bibi and all political prisoners,” the party said.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said appeal against the punishment would be fixed for hearing after Eid holidays.

In the Toshakhana corruption case, the 71-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician is accused of retaining expensive state gifts they received during his tenure as Pakistan’s premier.

Under the rules governing Toshakhana – a Persian word meaning “treasure house” – government officials can keep gifts by paying a price for them but first the gift should be deposited. Khan and his wife either failed to deposit the gift or got it for a low price by allegedly using their authority.

Khan had on Saturday agreed with the authorities on certain conditions to govern his meetings with his party leaders at the high-security Adiala jail where he is currently lodged, a media report said on Saturday. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) detail the schedule for 71-year-old Khan’s meeting with his lawyers, family members and party leaders, The Express Tribune newspaper had reported.

Khan has been in jail since August last year and just before the February 8 polls, he was sentenced to a 31-year jail term in three different cases. In total, he is facing over 200 cases.

With Agency Inputs