LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted protective bail to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan in a case of fraud and forgery in the sale of Toshakhana gifts till June 21.

The counsel of Imran Khan argued that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had already initiated proceedings against the petitioner in the Toshakhana case and prayed the court for protective bail enabling him to approach the court of original jurisdiction in Islamabad. The court after hearing his counsel at length granted protective bail to PTI Chief till June 21.

A First Information Report (FIR) lodged against Imran, also named his wife Bushra Bibi, Shahzad Akbar and Zulfi Bukhari among others at Kohsar police station Islamabad.

The FIR alleged that the accused committed fraud and forgery by presenting a fake receipt of a business letterhead with fake signatures showing sale purchases of gifts such as watches and cufflinks obtained from Toshakhana. “As per the record, neither such transaction regarding the sale of items had ever taken place with such nominated accused persons nor the accused persons had sold us any such items,” it added.

It, therefore, demanded a thorough investigation and prosecution against the nominated persons in accordance with the law. The complaint registered at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station invoked sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023