Following the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) approval of Imran’s bail in the Toshakhana 2.0 case on Wednesday, the PTI leader is no longer wanted in any cases within Islamabad’s jurisdiction. The IHC granted him bail on the condition of two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each.
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Later that evening, Rawalpindi police, led by the SSP Investigation, arrived at Adiala Jail to formally arrest Imran Khan. An anti-terrorism court will hear the case at the jail, and the police are expected to request his physical remand.
The new case, filed on September 28, relates to the PTI’s protest on September 27, and includes allegations of inciting arson and property damage. Imran, along with PTI leaders such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Seemabia Tahir, Amir Mughar, and Aliya Hamza, are named as co-accused. The FIR states that five suspects were arrested, including one who was found with a petrol bottle.
The charges against the accused include terrorism, attempted murder, vandalism, destruction of public and state property, and obstruction of government operations. The FIR details how protesters caused unrest, blocked public access by burning tires, and attacked police with stones and iron rods. Several police vehicles were damaged, and one officer suffered a serious eye injury from glass. Additionally, government firearms were seized and fired into the air, causing panic.
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Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were previously arrested in this case on July 13, shortly after they were acquitted in the Iddat case. Bushra was released from jail last month after spending nine months behind bars in connection with the Toshakhana 2.0 case.
In the Toshakhana case, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference related to a jewelry set gifted to Bushra by the Saudi royal family during Imran’s tenure as prime minister. NAB alleges that the couple illegally kept the jewelry, which included a ring, bracelet, necklace, and earrings, despite regulations requiring gifts from foreign dignitaries to be deposited in Toshakhana.
The reference claims that the value of the jewelry set was estimated at Rs70.56 million in May 2021, with the necklace alone valued at Rs50.64 million. According to the rules, the couple should have deposited 50% of the jewelry’s value, approximately Rs35.28 million, in the national exchequer, which was not done, resulting in a financial loss to the state.