Friday 20 / December / 2024
Rawalpindi : An accountability court in Rawalpindi extended the physical remand of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, by 10 days in a Toshakhana case, Geo News reported on Monday.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had presented the couple before the court after the previous seven-day remand expired and submitted a progress report on the newly filed case to the judge.
The hearing was attended by NAB Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and the investigative deputy director of the case, Mohsin Haroon.
During the hearing, the defence lawyer Salman Safdar opposed the extension in remand sought by anti-graft body's team.
The hearing also witnessed an altercation between the incarcerated former premier and NAB prosecutor general.
"My wife has no links with the Toshakhana, why is she being punished," Imran said, adding that the former first lady wasn't a public officeholder while he served in the post of premier.
Taking a jibe, he further said, "The NAB officials are sellouts who would do anything for money."
Attacking the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, the NAB prosecutor challenged Khan to buy a complete dinner and tea set for Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 30,000 from Rawalpindi's Raja Bazar, as he referred to the state gifts the former PM had received from the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
"Did Muhammad bin Salman gift you a dinner set and tea set worth PKR 30,000," Abbasi asked the cricketer-turned-politician, as per the Geo News.
After the completion of arguments, the court adjourned the proceedings until August 8, directing the NAB team to present Imran and Bushra at the next hearing.
The 71-year-old PTI founding chairman has been in prison for almost a year after he was booked in a plethora of cases, including the Toshakhana, cipher, and the un-Islamic marriage. His wife, Bushra, has also been behind bars for months, Geo News reported.
However, a court suspended his sentence in the Toshakhana case, while other courts overturned his convictions in the cipher and Iddat cases, respectively.
While there were hopes for Imran and Bushra's release in July, they were dashed when NAB arrested them on fresh charges related to the sale of state gifts. The chances of Imran's release from jail further dimmed after he was arrested in new cases linked to the May 9 riots, following his acquittal in the Iddat case.
