NAB files fresh Toshakhana reference against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi

• Fresh reference will be "reviewed" by accountability courts registrar.
• Reference filed by NAB consists of two volumes, sources say.
• After removing objections, reference will be sent to judge.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a fresh Toshakhana reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in a case pertaining to a jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince.

The development comes after the anti-graft body interrogated the former prime minister and his wife at the Adiala jail, as per the reference.

The reference — which consists of two volumes — was filed by NAB investigation officer Mohsin Haroon and case officer Waqar Hassan in an accountability court.

The fresh reference will now be reviewed by the registrar of the accountability courts. After removing the objections, the reference will be sent to the administrative judge of the accountability court.

The administrative judge will then decide whether to conduct hearing himself or transfer it to another accountability court.

It should be noted that administrative Judge Nasir Javed Rana is already hearing the £190 million reference against the PTI founder.

The couple was arrested in new Toshakhana case on July 13 hours after a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted them in the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case — which was the last hurdle in the couple's release from jail before the filing of the new cases.

A day earlier, accountability court had sent the PTI founder and Bushra to jail on a 15-day judicial remand in the other new Toshakhana reference after completion of the probe by NAB.

During the hearing of the other reference on Monday, the couple submitted the responses to the questionnaire by NAB.

The hearing on August 19, held at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, was conducted by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana.

Khan, who has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana criminal case, and subsequently sentenced in other cases ahead of the February 8 elections.

Despite securing relief in several cases, the former premier's legal troubles refused to die down as he was booked in several other cases including those related to the May 9 mayhem when alleged supporters of his party attacked and ransacked state properties including military installations following his arrest in a corruption case last year. 

What is the new NAB reference?

The new NAB reference pertains to a case related to a jewellery set gifted to former first lady Bushra Bibi by the Saudi crown prince when Khan was the prime minister of the country from 2018 to 2022. 

The jewellery set — comprising a ring, bracelet, necklace a pair of earrings — was gifted to the former first lady on her visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021, as per the NAB's reference.

It said the PTI founder and his wife have illegally kept the jewellery set.

It added that the deputy military secretary briefed the Toshakhana section officer to estimate and declare the price of the jewellery set. The jewellery set, it mentioned, was not deposited in Toshakhana.

The jewellery company sold the necklace for €300,000 and earrings for €80,000 on May 25, 2018. The information regarding the price of the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.

On May 28, 2021, the price of jewellery set estimated at Rs70.56 million; the price of the necklace Rs50.64 million and the price of the earrings included in the jewellery valued at Rs10.50 million back then.

According to the rules, the 50% price of the jewellery set is approximately Rs30.57 million.  

The national exchequer suffered a loss of approximately Rs30.28 after the jewellery was undervalued. 

As per the reference, the PTI founder and his wife violated the NAB Ordinance. It added that an inquiry was initiated against the former first couple on the instructions of NAB chairman on August 1, 2022.

“PTI founder and Bushra Bibi have misused their powers. PTI founder retained 58 out of 108 gifts during his prime ministership,” read the reference.