ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Monday, suspended the 14-year sentences awarded to former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi by an Accountability Court in the Toshakhana reference.

A special bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, on Monday, heard former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s appeals against their convictions in the Toshakhana case.

However, they will not be released immediately as they have been convicted in other cases.

Khan and Bushra were sentenced in the Toshakhana reference by an Islamabad accountability court on January 31 and according to the verdict, they were barred from holding any public office for 10 years and slapped with a fine of Rs787 million each.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed the reference against them for retaining a jewellery set received from the Saudi Crown Prince against an undervalued assessment. The anti-graft watchdog had alleged in the reference that during his term as prime minister, Imran and his wife had received a total of 108 gifts from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

During the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar appeared before the court as the counsel for the ex-premier and his spouse while NAB prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz was also present.

Justice Farooq said to Zafar that his arguments would only be heard if the same were related to the suspension of the Toshakhana sentence and not to the appeal against the conviction.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024