Bushra Bibi secures bail in Toshakhana reference II

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, secured bail in the Toshakhana reference II on Wednesday against a surety bond worth Rs1 million.

Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the petition of the former first lady, requesting bail in the Toshakhana reference II. She filed the petition on October 3.

In the application, she raised the question on the inquiry of the case, stating, “The investigation was not transparent." 

She maintained that the case was aimed at keeping her in jail and the "same cases were being run from different angles.”

Previously, a trial court had terminated the post-arrest bail of Imran Khan’s spouse on September 30.

However, in today’s hearing, the Federal Investigation Agency’s prosecutor, Umair Majeed, repeated the stance related to the determination of the market value of jewellery set given by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

He added that under the procedure the gift can be bought four months after deciding the value, and the "Prime Minister is not allowed to keep it before paying the estimated amount".

Justice Aurangzeb compared the Toshakhana reference II with the ongoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa’s case pertaining to assets beyond income in which CJP’s wife nominated in her husband’s asset case.

“It is like CJP Isa’s case, why Imran Khan is responsible if Bushra Bibi has not given the gifts in Toshakhana,” Justice Aurangzeb said in his remarks.

Responding to the court, FIA’s prosecutor said the case is a "little" different from CJP Isa’s case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the details of a new reference against the couple surfaced on August 20.

The details claimed that the Saudi Crown Prince had visited Pakistan from May 7 to 10, 2021. He gifted the couple a jewellery set consisting of a ring, bracelet, necklace, and earrings, and Imran Khan retained a set illegally.