Islamabad, Apr 28: A top court here has dismissed the petitions filed by ousted prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) call-up notices in the Toshakhana corruption case.
A two-member Islamabad High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Babar Sattar on Thursday declared the petitions ineffective, The News International reported.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana, and selling them for profit.
He was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan in October last year for not sharing details of the sales.
The election body later filed a complaint with the district court to punish him, under criminal laws, for selling the gifts he had received as prime minister of the country.
Khan has vehemently denied those charges.
The NAB in its response to the petitions of 70-year-old Khan and Bushra Bibi contended that the petitioners challenged the notices dated February 17 and March 16 while the bureau had also sent them a third call-up notice.
The NAB prosecutor further argued that the application against the first two notices became ineffective following the fresh notice.
Directing the accountability watchdog to continue its probe against Khan and his spouse in accordance with the amended law, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq observed that the court cannot stop the NAB from taking action and conducting an investigation.
The NAB in its detailed report submitted to the IHC stated that Khan and Bushra Bibi received 108 state gifts between August 2018 and April 2022, and retained 58 gifts against Rs 38 million, The Dawn newspaper reported.
“Call-up notices along with questionnaires were issued to the petitioners to seek information strictly in accordance with the law,” the NAB prosecutor said.
“Instead of replying to the questionnaire annexed with the [first] call-up notice, the petitioner submitted an evasive reply.”
“Therefore, in the interest of justice, a [second] call-up notice was issued,” the NAB replied, adding that the second response was “evasive” as well.
The NAB stated that the inquiry against Khan and his wife was under process and in view of Section 19 of the National Accountability Act, 2022, the call-up notices were issued in accordance with the law to ascertain facts.
The cricketer-turned-politician is currently facing over 140 cases registered against him under treason, terrorism, murder, attempted murder, blasphemy, and other charges.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, he has been demanding early elections to remove what he termed an “imported government” led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once Parliament completes its five-year tenure. (PTI)
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