Toshakhana-II Was a Very Clear Case and Conviction Was Inevitable: Talal Chaudhry

Islamabad: Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry has said that the Toshakhana-II case was very clear in nature and a conviction was inevitable, as the accused had no valid defense.

In a statement, Talal Chaudhry said that in the earlier Toshakhana case, Bushra Bibi and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder did not leave behind even items such as a dinner set or a phone set. He added that in the Toshakhana-II case, the matter involved a rare necklace worth billions of rupees, which was deliberately undervalued.

He emphasized that gifts kept in the Toshakhana are held as a trust by the ruler, and that trust was breached. “By paying only a few rupees, a necklace worth billions was retained,” he alleged.

The minister noted that the case took around 14 to 15 months to conclude, adding that the verdict could have been announced much earlier. However, he said, “Better late than never,” and stressed that such decisions should be delivered promptly so that no questions can be raised about them.

Talal Chaudhry also remarked that it was “good to see” that certain forms of internal support and influence no longer existed, indirectly referring to past pressures surrounding the case.

It is worth noting that in the Toshakhana-II case, the accountability court has sentenced the PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 10 years in prison each. In addition, both were awarded separate sentences of seven years each under Section 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Overall, each of them has been handed a total sentence of 17 years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs164 million.

The verdict was announced by Special Judge Central Shah Rukh Arjumand of the Accountability Court at Adiala Jail in the presence of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.