Imran Khan challenges convictions in Toshakhana, Cipher cases

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Friday challenged the convictions handed down to him in Toshakhana and cipher cases in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) through Barrister Ali Zafar.

The former prime minister, in the Toshakhana petition, nominated the state and accountability bureau as respondents, urging the suspension of conviction and sentence.

In a separate plea over the cipher case, the PTI founder made the state and Interior Ministry Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar respondents and urged the high court to set aside the conviction and sentence and acquit him of the charges. 

Imran Khan and his close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to ten years in rigorous prison in a cipher case.

Later, an accountability court had jailed Mr Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi for 14 years in jail in Toshakhana case.

The cipher controversy arose in a public gathering on March 27, 2022, when the former prime minister had pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it at the crowd, claiming that it was evidence of an "international conspiracy" being hatched to topple his government.

The PTI founder claimed that the then-Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, led by PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, and other parties, was involved in the conspiracy.

Later, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi under Sections 5 (wrongful communication of information) and 9 (attempt to commit or abet the commission of an offence under this Secrets Act) of the Official Secrets Act.

In the Toshakhana case, Imran Khan was accused of acquiring valuable gifts from foreign countries at a reduced price during his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. Subsequently, he was alleged to have sold these gifts for a total of $635,000.

Among Imran Khan's received items is a watch from Saudi Arabia, featuring a model of the Kaaba. The watch is estimated to be worth Rs60-65 crore in the international market.