ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court here on Wednesday sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years in jail with rigorous punishment in the Toshakhana case without recording the statement of Khan under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while announcing its judgement, awarded 14 years imprisonment in jail each to Khan and his wife, as well as, disqualified them from holding public office for 10 years.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs787 million against each.
At the start of the hearing, the court marked the attendance of Khan. However, Bushra did not appear before the court.
The judge asked Khan where is your statement to be recorded under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Khan replied his statement was in his room and he was called only for marking his attendance.
The judge told Khan to submit his statement under Section 342 right now and not waste the time of the court. “Why are you in such a hurry? Yesterday, the special court also announced its sentence in haste,” Khan said to the judge.
Khan further told the judge that his legal team had not reached the court. “I will submit my statement after showing the statement to my lawyer,” he said. He again said that he was called to the courtroom just to mark his attendance, and then he left the courtroom.
The court announced its judgment without recording the statement of Khan under Section 342.
The court sentenced both Khan and his wife to 14 years in prison.
The former prime minister’s wife Bushra Bibi surrendered before the court soon after the verdict was announced.
The NAB team, already at the jail, where the hearing was being conducted, took her into custody as soon as she reached there.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on December 19, 2023, filed the Toshakhana reference against Khan and his wife.
The court on January 29 closed the right of Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi of cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses in the Toshakhana case.
The court closed the right of the defence counsel of cross-examination of the witnesses and asked Imran and his wife to record their statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Sources said that the authorities declared Bani Gala residence of former premier Imran Khan as a sub-jail and shifted Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi from Adiala jail to Bani Gala. The decision to shift Bushra Bibi from jail to Bani Gala was taken due to security concerns, they said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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