ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the state gifts case, ahead of the looming November 24 protest call by PTI.
IHC judge Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb accepted the bail plea of Imran Khan against two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each, which must be submitted by separate guarantors.
The court ordered that if the accused is not facing any other case then he be released from the prison. The court was hearing a graft case, referred to as the Toshakhana 2 case.
The IHC directed Imran Khan to appear before the trial court following the bail. The judge observed, “The bail can be cancelled if you [Imran Khan] do not cooperate with the trial court.”
Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were apprehended in the case on July 13, following their acquittal in the illegal marriage case the same day.
While Bushra Bibi was granted bail in the case from the IHC last month, allowing her to be freed from jail, the PTI founder has remained in prison since his arrest on August 5 last year in a separate State Gifts Case.
During the hearing, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb asked the respondent’s lawyer about the method used to determine the value of the jewellery and other gifts received by the former premier and his wife.
Barrister Salman Safdar, representing the PTI founder, responded that the prosecution was responsible for clarifying this matter in court. He also highlighted discrepancies in the receipts, noting that the receipts in question were issued in the name of Bushra Bibi, not the PTI founder.
He criticised the expedited manner in which the FIA had filed its challan, stating that essential aspects of the investigation were overlooked.
Justice Aurangzeb asked how the PTI founder benefited from the undervaluation, to which the prosecutor responded that his wife’s gain inherently benefited him as well. The court dismissed this logic, questioning such assumptions.
The defence argued that the prosecution’s case relied on testimonies from key witnesses such as Sohaib Abbasi, who had been granted pardon and declared an approver in the case.
“What action was taken against the three Customs officers who calculated the wrong price?” asked the court.
The FIA prosecutor said Customs officers committed negligence, but it did not constitute criminal misconduct. “The NAB did not recommend any departmental action against those officers,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention that there’s still an obstacle in the release of the PTI founder from Adiala Jail, as his bail bonds in five cases of May 9 have not been submitted. Imran Khan’s bail bonds in seven other cases of May 9 had been submitted previously.
In its reference filed with the court, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has accused Imran and his wife of illegally retaining the jewellery set received during an official trip to a friendly country in May 2021.
Soon after the hearing Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said that Imran Khan is unlikely to walk free despite securing bail in the state gifts case.
“There is no chance of the PTI founder’s release,” the information minister said while speaking to a private news channel on Wednesday.
Tarar said that the case regarding the selling of state gifts was being heard in a trial court and that sufficient evidence was available against the PTI founder. “The trial is yet to be concluded,” he added.
He noted that the bail can be cancelled in case of non-compliance on Imran’s part. He reiterated that the case would continue for a long time.
He said the PTI founder had not received bail in eight cases related to the May 9 mayhem when the party and its members targeted defence structures, including monuments for the martyrs.
