The Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted protective bail to Imran Khan, the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), until June 21 in a case related to fraud and forgery in the sale of Toshakhana gifts.
Justice Amjad Rafique issued the order in response to a petition filed by the former prime minister, seeking temporary protective bail.
Toshakhana is a department responsible for storing precious gifts given to Pakistani public officials and is under the administration of the Cabinet Division.
Imran Khan has faced several legal challenges regarding his retention of these gifts. The issue had previously led to his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Last month, he was formally charged in this case.
The First Information Report (FIR) filed against Imran Khan on June 6, a copy of which has been obtained by Dawn.com, also includes the names of his wife, Bushra Bibi, former accountability czar Shahzad Akbar, and PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari, among others.
The FIR alleges that the accused individuals "committed fraud and forgery in order to deceive" by presenting a fake receipt on the business letterhead, containing false signatures, indicating the purchase and sale of gifts such as watches and cufflinks from Toshakhana.
The complaint, registered at Kohsar police station in Islamabad, invokes sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to cheating, forgery, and using forged documents.
Earlier today, Imran Khan filed a petition in the LHC, claiming that he was falsely implicated in the case with malicious intent.
During the hearing, Imran's lawyer, Salman Safdar, argued that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had already initiated proceedings against the former prime minister in the Toshakhana case.
The court accepted the request and granted protective bail to Imran Khan until June 21, allowing him to approach a relevant court in Islamabad.
In a separate development, the LHC has barred the police from arresting Imran's wife, Bushra Bibi, in any case until June 13. The court has also summoned a report detailing all the cases registered against her.
The court took this step following a petition filed by Bushra Bibi seeking information about the cases against her. The court had previously asked the Punjab police to submit a report on the matter.
During the hearing, it was revealed that a complaint had been filed against Bushra Bibi at Kohsar police station, despite the police's report stating that no new cases had been registered against her. The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the miscommunication.
The FIA, Punjab police, and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) also submitted their reports in court. The government's counsel stated that, apart from the Al-Qadir Trust case, no other FIRs had been registered against Bushra Bibi.
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