Imran Khan and Wife Sent on Six-Day Remand in Fresh Case Hours After Acquittal

PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were sent on a six-day physical remand in connection with a fresh Toshakhana case, hours after their acquittal in the Iddat case, according to ARY News. The Pakistani accountability court has ordered an investigation by the National Accountability Bureau.

Just hours after being acquitted in the Iddat case, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were placed on a six-day physical remand in a new Toshakhana case, ARY News reported. The accountability court judge directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to carry out the investigation, according to the news outlet.

Following federal approval, the Pakistani Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification endorsing a prison term for the former premier and his wife in the new case, ARY News noted. The notification, issued under Section 16-B of the NAB Ordinance 1999, cited security reasons for holding the trial within jail premises.

After their acquittal in the Iddat case, the couple was re-arrested in the Toshakhana case. NAB Deputy Director Mohsin Haroon arrested them from Adiala Jail after recording their statements. Although Bushra Bibi was officially released following the Iddat case ruling, she was immediately re-arrested in the Toshakhana case, highlighting the continued legal challenges for the couple.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad cleared the former prime minister and his wife in the controversial 'Iddat case,' commonly referred to as the un-Islamic nikah case, which had been the last obstacle to Khan's release. Earlier this year, they each received a seven-year prison sentence and a PKR 5,00,000 fine following a challenge by Bushra's ex-husband, Khawar Maneka. The anti-corruption watchdog has intensified efforts to investigate alleged abuses of power in acquiring Toshakhana gifts, issuing an arrest warrant for Bushra.

The acquittal in the Iddat case bears significant consequences for Khan, who has been jailed since August of last year following a conviction in the Toshakhana case and other subsequent legal issues leading up to the February 8 elections.