Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi Arrested in New NAB Reference

The legal challenges for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi continue as the couple was arrested in a new National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference related to Toshakhana gifts, according to sources reported by Geo News on Saturday.

This development occurred just hours after a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted Khan and his spouse in the iddat case, also known as the un-Islamic nikah case. This acquittal was the last hurdle in their release from jail. The court accepted their pleas seeking annulment of their conviction, with Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka announcing the short order reserved earlier in the day.

In February of this year, Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Rs500,000 each after a trial court found their nikah to be fraudulent. This case was brought forward by Khawar Maneka, Bushra’s ex-husband.

A team from the anti-corruption watchdog, headed by Deputy Director Mohsin Haroon, arrested the couple in Adiala Jail concerning alleged “misuse of power for acquiring Toshakhana gifts.” The NAB team rearrested Bushra Bibi immediately after her release from Adiala Jail’s Gate No. 3 to fulfill legal obligations. She remains incarcerated at the Rawalpindi prison.

PTI lawyer Intazar Panjutha confirmed this development, stating that the former first lady was rearrested shortly after her initial release.

In another development, sources revealed that Lahore police had not made any progress in arresting the former prime minister after his interim bails were dismissed by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) earlier this week. It emerged that Khan’s arrest was not declared in the May 9, 2023, riots cases as per Adiala Jail records.

A Lahore Police team visited Adiala Jail to arrest the PTI founder, and another team from the anti-graft body visited Rawalpindi jail under the supervision of NAB Assistant Director Naeem Ullah.

Bushra Bibi’s lawyers also submitted a pre-arrest bail plea in the court that heard the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement case, citing her expected arrest in the new NAB reference.

A NAB official confirmed in January that the top graft body was working on another reference against the cricketer-turned-politician related to Toshakhana gifts retained after payment of a nominal amount. An accountability court judge had previously refused to extend Khan’s physical remand when the NAB filed a Toshakhana reference in December 2023.

Speaking to journalists outside Rawalpindi jail, PTI lawyer Intazar Panjutha stated, “The conspiracy to break down the PTI founder has failed as he is now facing no more cases against him which needed to keep him behind bars.” He added that the court issued mandamus (robkar) for Khan and Bushra’s release and that, according to Adiala Jail’s records, they were not facing arrests in any other cases as of Saturday morning.

The verdict in the un-Islamic nikah case holds significant importance for Khan, who has been behind bars since August last year following his sentencing in the Toshakhana criminal case. He has since been sentenced in other cases ahead of the February 8 elections. Khan has secured relief in the £190 million reference, Toshakhana, and cipher cases, and has been granted bail in several May 9 cases registered in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad. However, his pre-arrest bail in vandalism cases related to violent protests was dismissed by an ATC in Lahore earlier this week.