Pakistan News: Islamabad HC Suspends Imran Khan And Wife's 14-Year Sentence In Toshakhana Case

The 14-year sentences of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in connection with the Toshakhana graft case were suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday, as reported by Dawn.

These sentences, along with a seven-year term in an 'un-Islamic' marriage case, were imposed by an accountability court on January 31, just days before the general elections.

Islamabad HC Suspends Imran Khan's Sentence

The case was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Imran and his wife in December last year for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi crown prince against an undervalued assessment. Judge Mohammad Bashir presided over the hearing at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where Imran currently remains imprisoned. Additionally, the couple faced a fine of Rs 787 million and a prohibition on holding public office for a decade, as reported by Dawn.

During the hearing, Imran Khan, the PTI founder, was presented, while his wife did not appear before the court at the time. Imran alleged that his wife had nothing to do with the case and was being unjustly implicated. The sentencing occurred the day after Imran and his deputy Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to ten years in prison in the cipher case, alleging the leaking of state secrets.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq stated that the cipher case would be completed in a few days, according to Geo News. He added that the cipher case pertaining to the disclosure of state secrets was fixed for hearing on the next day. The special court had begun the cipher trial afresh last month at the Adiala district jail after Imran and Qureshi were indicted for a second time in the case on December 13. While the Pakistan Supreme Court approved the post-arrest bails of Imran and Qureshi last month, Imran remained in jail due to other cases lodged against him, while Qureshi was re-arrested in a fresh case related to the May 9 riots.