RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were on Wednesday disqualified from holding public office for 10 years a week before the general elections 2024.
Imran disqualified and he and his wife Bushra Bibi were also awarded 14 years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs787 million each in the Toshakhana case.
The verdict was announced by accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir in Adiala jail a day after the former prime minister was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in the cipher case by a special court in the jail.
The accountability court judge announced the verdict in the absence of Imran Khan and before arrival of his wife in jail. After the verdict, Bushra Bibi reached the jail and was arrested.
At the outset of the proceedings, the judge asked Imran if he had filed his 342 statement. In reply, he said he had completed the file and would submit it after arrival of his wife and lawyers.
When the judge seemed in a hurry and asked him to immediately submit the statement, the former prime minister got annoyed and said he had been deceived, adding he had been told to come to the court just to mark his attendance. He then left the court room in anger.
The judge then announced the verdict in his absence with none of his lawyers in attendance as well.
“Another sad day in our judicial system history, which is being dismantled,” Khan’s media team said, denying the charge that any illegal acts were committed.
“No cross questioning allowed, no final argument concluded and decision pops up like a pre-determined process in play,” it said, adding “This ridiculous decision will also be challenged.”
Khan and his wife were charged with illegally selling gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($501,000) in state possession and received during his 2018-2022 premiership.
Government officials have alleged Khan’s aides sold the gifts in Dubai.
A list of these gifts shared by a former information minister included perfumes, diamond jewellery, dinner sets and seven watches, six of them Rolexes – the most expensive being a “Master Graff limited edition” valued at 85 million rupees ($304,000).
It may be mentioned here that a day earlier Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment in the cipher case.
The convictions of the PTI founder and former prime minister and his disqualification is significant in the sense that these developments have come in quick succession just a week before the Feb 8 elections in the country.
Today’s conviction is Imran’s third. A day earlier, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act sentenced Imran and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to 10 years in prison for the breach of state secrets.
Imran disqualified