Court Rejects Imran Khan's Appeal for Acquittal in Toshakhana Case

On Thursday, Senior Special Judge Shah Rukh Arjumand of Islamabad Central Court-1 delivered the ruling during a hearing held at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. Imran Khan appeared in court in a grey sweater, freshly shaved, while Bushra Bibi was absent, having been granted bail in the case last month.

In its detailed five-page order, the trial court confirmed that the investigation into the case was conducted independently by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The court also noted that the value of the jewelry allegedly acquired by Imran Khan was found to be significantly higher than expected, as verified by the renowned jeweler Bulgari.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) bench, consisting of Chief Justice Amer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, heard an appeal filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to overturn the January 31 order from the trial court in the Toshakhana-1 case. On April 1, the IHC had suspended the trial court’s order.

Imran Khan's legal team, led by Barrister Ali Zafar, appeared in court, while NAB was represented by Special Prosecutor Amjad Parvez and Prosecutor Rafiq Maksud. During the hearing, Parvez expressed his disagreement with the process that led to Imran Khan's conviction, noting that he had previously recommended suspending the sentence for the PTI founder and his wife. He also requested the trial court’s decision to be overturned, seeking a remand for a retrial.

The court then directed Barrister Ali Zafar to confer with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, and postponed the hearing until November 21