The Islamabad High Court (IHC) served several notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday regarding the second reference related to Toshakhana gifts where PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi can be arrested.
The plea by PTI Chairman, Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi being heard by a division bench of the IHC, braces Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir. Ironically, the charge sheet in the previous reference against Imran Khan was submitted to the court during the same hearing. Justice Aurangzeb pointed out that the earlier charge sheet contained only graft jewelry.
Justice Aurangzeb also countered this by stating that it was high time Imran Khan proved that he was in good faith by assisting the investigation. He said that earlier NAB had demanded a jewelry set which was not given by Khan and said that even when there was an expectation to offer gifts Khan persistently did not offer gifts, the approach was risky and the intentions were not good. Justice Aurangzeb further questioned Khan elucidating that is it really so that he is not cooperating in the investigation.
The bench gave notices to NAB and asked it to file a reply and the hearing of the case was adjourned till August 8.
Before that, on July 25, a two-member division bench of CJP, Aamer Farooq and Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz conducted a hearing on petitions regarding the arrest of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the New Toshakhana case. However, the lawyers of PTI therefore prayed that Chief Justice SJC Aamer Farooq should recuse himself from holding the hearing of this case because they were told that Imran Khan had filed a complaint against Aamer Farooq before the SJC. This provoked the anger and wrath of the chief justice of Pakistan Farooq said that he would not leave the bench and ordered the lawyer to proceed with his argument.
Another new bench of the Supreme Court was then constituted to hear the petitions when Justice Saman Raffat Imtiaz proceeded on summer vacation.