PTI Government Concealed Toshakhana Details, Says Islamabad High Court Judge

Islamabad: Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb of the Islamabad High Court remarked that during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the details of the Toshakhana (state gift repository) were concealed. He stated that whenever the court inquired, the government would hide the information, and they were repeatedly told that no one should know about the Toshakhana details.
These remarks came during the hearing of the Toshakhana 2 case, in which PTI’s founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s bail application was being considered. The hearing was attended by FIA prosecutor Umair Majid Malik and other officials, while Imran Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, began presenting arguments.
During the proceedings, FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi claimed that media reports had already suggested that Imran Khan’s bail would be granted, to which Justice Aurangzeb responded, dismissing the influence of media on the court’s decisions. He remarked that without sensationalism, the media’s business would not survive.
Barrister Safdar addressed the case related to jewelry sets, stating that the valuation of the jewelry would be clarified by the prosecution. He also noted that the receipt in question was in the name of Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, and that several individuals, including Sohail Abbasi and Inamullah Shah, had been named as witnesses, with some being “turncoat witnesses.”
Justice Aurangzeb further emphasized that in the past, the PTI government had not disclosed Toshakhana details, even when asked. He recalled that previous governments had maintained that no one should have knowledge of the Toshakhana records.
Safdar highlighted that the case had been registered with a delay of over three years, arguing that the allegations lacked clear evidence of a crime, especially given the legal framework for accepting gifts from Toshakhana under the 2018 policy.
In response, FIA prosecutor Umair Majid argued that valuable gifts, including Bulgari jewelry, were not deposited in Toshakhana, and the undervaluation of state gifts caused financial harm to the state. He claimed that both Imran Khan and his wife had benefited from this undervaluation.
Justice Aurangzeb questioned how Imran Khan had benefited, to which the FIA prosecutor responded that any benefit gained by Bushra Bibi was also beneficial to her husband, Imran Khan. Justice Aurangzeb humorously remarked that gifts belonging to one’s spouse were not necessarily the property of the husband.
The case has been closely followed, as it involves allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption during Imran Khan’s time in office. The Islamabad High Court has adjourned the hearing with the intention of resuming it after a division bench hearing.
Background:
On September 12, 2024, a three-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formed by the FIA to investigate the Toshakhana 2 case. The case, which involves the illegal possession and sale of expensive gifts, was transferred from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to the FIA following a Supreme Court decision regarding recent NAB amendments.
Earlier, in July 2024, NAB had arrested Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in connection with the Toshakhana case, charging them with illegal retention and sale of 10 high-value gifts, including seven luxury watches.