IHC suspends Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s sentence in Toshakhana case. On Monday, the Islamabad High Court took a significant decision regarding the case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
The case, known as the Toshakhana case, has been the subject of legal scrutiny since its inception.
IHC, Imran Khan and Toshakhana case
Legal Proceeding
During the hearing, legal representatives from both sides presented their arguments before the division bench of the Islamabad High Court.
Barrister Ali Zafar, representing Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, emphasized their stance on providing evidence for the central appeal rather than pursuing immediate suspension of the sentence.
“We won’t initiate the appeal if you wish to provide evidence for the suspension of the sentence,” said Barrister Ali Zafar.
“Instead of the suspension of the sentence, we will provide evidence for the central appeal.”
Meanwhile, Prosecutor Amjad Parvez represented the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and expressed no objection to the suspension of the sentence, although he clarified that appeals couldn’t be entertained at present.
Court’s Decision
Chief Justice Aamir Farooq, presiding over the proceedings, noted the ongoing Cipher case and the necessity to prioritize hearings accordingly. Consequently, the court decided to defer the appeal hearing until after Eid.
In light of the NAB prosecutor’s statement, the court proceeded to suspend the sentence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case.
Chief Justice remarked, “Cipher case is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow, which will be completed in a few days, so the Toshakhana case cannot be kept pending today for a hearing tomorrow as the NAB’s evidence is starting, and we do not know how much time they will take.”
Previous Rulings
The Toshakhana case had attracted widespread attention earlier when, on January 31, Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Accountability Court Islamabad sentenced Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to 14 years each in prison.
Additionally, they were deemed ineligible for holding any public office for a period of 10 years and were collectively fined Rs 1.57 billion.
