RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi will be indicted in a fresh Toshakhan reference on October 2, it was revealed on Thursday. Proceedings on the new Toshakhana reference began last week after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was barred from pursuing the matter and the case was handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict on the reinstatement of amendments to anti-corruption laws. The ousted prime minister has been jailed for nearly a year after being convicted in four cases — two in the Toshakhan reference, the cipher case and the Iddat case, in which his wife is also jailed. Toshakhana’s fresh allegations against the couple came to the fore after NAB arrested them shortly after the Islamabad District and Sessions Court acquitted Khan and Bushra in the iddat case – also known as the un-Islamic nikah case – which was the latest hurdle to the couple’s release. from prison. On Thursday (today), Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand heard the post-arrest bail pleas of the party founder and his wife, which were filed before the interim court at Adiala Jail. During the hearing, defense attorneys completed their arguments on the requests, while the prosecution asked for more time in that regard — a request that drew strong opposition. PTI founder Salman Safdar’s counsel today asked the court to decide on the bail application, saying today’s hearing is being held on impeachment grounds. Meanwhile, Imran and Bushra came to the stand and presented the same request to the former prime minister demanding justice. “My wife [Bushra] has nothing to do with this case, but she is still in jail,” he said. “I will spend 22 hours in a [prison] cage,” the judge informed the PTI founder.
