Bushra objected to the government's decision to send her to Bani Gala to serve a 14-year term in the Toshakhana case.

ISLAMABAD: Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, filed a plea asking to be transferred from the Bani Gala sub-prison to the Adiala jail. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) deferred its decision on Thursday.

IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has reserved the ruling for consideration of the arguments.

Usman Gul, the former first lady's attorney, claimed during his opening statement to the court that the procedure of designating the home as a sub-jail was finished in a matter of hours.

The superintendent jail informed the court that Bushra could not be housed there due to overcrowding. It further stated that it appeared to have already been decided that she needed to be moved to Bani Gala.

Judge Aurangzeb asked the state attorney a series of questions on the declaration of Bani Gala as a sub-jail, including whether the notification was ready in a matter of minutes.

“Don’t you feel it was already decided that Bushra Bibi had to be transferred (home)? How many women have been brought to Adiala jail, after sending Bushra Bibi home?” he inquired.

The judge of the IHC questioned whether the 141 women who were subsequently transported to the jail had fewer rights.“Why don’t you send the other women home as well?” he asked.

The government's attorney responded to the judge by stating that Bushra was moved to Bani Gala because to a threat to his safety.

Judge Aurangzeb questioned how a prisoner's property could be turned into a sub-jail without their cooperation, stating that he would be ecstatic if he was "willingly" confined to his home.

Following her conviction in the notorious Toshakhana case, Bushra was placed under house arrest at her Bani Gala property on January 31. At the request of the superintendent of the Adiala jail, the authorities had then declared the Bani Gala residence a "sub-jail" in order to confine the former first lady.

In the aforementioned case, Bushra had contested on February 6 the government's attempt to have her imprisoned at the Islamabad mansion for the duration of her 14-year sentence.

Khan's spouse argued in the appeal that, similar to other party political workers, she was prepared and willing to serve her time in the “Ordinary Jail Premises at Adiala Jail, rather than the declared sub-jail at her residence”.

Furthermore, because of possible security risks, the former first lady felt "unsafe" being imprisoned on the sub-jail's property by herself.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder's wife claimed that the "special treatment" she received violated the Constitution's guarantee of equality and was therefore discriminatory.

Given the aforementioned arguments, the petitioner had begged the court to revoke the notice designating her residence as a sub-prison and transfer her to Adiala jail in the "interest of justice."

Court sentences Khan, Bushra

Judge Muhammad Bashir of the accountability court announced the decision in the case pertaining to the unlawful sale of state gifts from Toshakhana, which resulted in a 14-year prison sentence for both Bushra and Khan.

The court fined the couple Rs 1.57 billion, or 787 million apiece, and also barred the former prime minister from holding public office for ten years.

Khan told the court that his wife was being humiliated by being forced into a lawsuit that she had nothing to do with.

What is Toshakhana reference?

Toshakhana, which means "treasure house" in Persian, has laws that allow government officials to keep presents that are of modest value while requiring them to pay a drastically reduced price to the government for extravagant ones.

Ever since the claims surfaced that Khan bought the presents he was given as prime minister at discount prices and then sold them for enormous profits on the open market, the Toshakhana has been scrutinized.

The 70-year-old former cricket player who is now a politician was charged with abusing his leadership from 2018 to 2022 to purchase and sell presents in state custody that were obtained on foreign trips and totaled more than Rs140 million.

Government officials claim that timepieces from a royal family were among the gifts; they have previously claimed that Khan's aides sold the watches in Dubai.

In addition, there were seven wristwatches among the gifts, including the priciest "Master Graff limited edition" at 85 million Pakistani rupees ($385,000) and six created by watchmaker Rolex.

Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf sent a reference to the Election Commission requesting that it look into the situation.

The electoral body accused the former premier of fraudulent practices in October 2022 and lodged a complaint with an Islamabad court.

What is Toshakhana?

Toshakhana, a department under the administrative jurisdiction of the Cabinet Division, was established in 1974 and holds priceless presents that foreign dignitaries and heads of other countries and nations offer as tokens of goodwill to monarchs, lawmakers, bureaucrats, and officials.

It contains goods such as gold-plated trinkets, pricey artworks, bulletproof cars, watches, jewelry, rugs, and swords.