New Toshakhana reference: Imran, Bushra challenge their arrest in IHC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, Thursday, moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging their arrest in a new Toshakhana reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

They filed the petition through Barrister Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry advocate and cited the NAB chairman and others as respondents.

The petitioners’ counsels argued that the arrest was illegal and requested their immediate release. They maintained that in light of the peculiar facts and circumstances, “it is respectfully prayed that arrest of the petitioners may kindly he declared as unlawful and illegal and petitioners may kindly be released in the instant case by issuing strict direction to authorities to not arrest the petitioners in any other case without taking permission from this Honorable Court.”

The counsel further maintained that Khan and Bushra had been “illegally” remanded into the NAB’s custody while their arrest had affected the fundamental rights of “liberty and pre-arrest”.

On July 13, a team of the anti-corruption watchdog headed by Deputy Director Mohsin Haroon arrested Khan and Bushra from Adiala Jail in the new reference related to alleged “misuse of power for acquiring Toshakhana gifts”.

The NAB team rearrested Bushra Bibi after she was released from Adiala Jail’s Gate No 3, following her exoneration in the Iddat case.

Subsequently, an accountability court, on Sunday, approved an eight-day physical remand each, of the PTI founder and his wife in the fresh graft reference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024