Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi challenge arrest in new Toshakhana case

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have challenged in the Islamabad High Court their arrests in the new Toshakhana reference.

Their legal team, led by Barristers Salman Safdar and Khalid Yusuf, filed a petition, making the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, NAB director-general and other NAB officials as respondents.

The petition argued that since Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi have already been investigated, their fresh arrests in the same case were un-called for.

It has referred to previous high court rulings which state that no individual should be arrested after being merely nominated in a case. The petition said that these guidelines have been violated by the NAB.

The petition further contended that the arrests were politically motivated, as the federal and Punjab governments wanted to keep them in custody for an extended period.

“Arresting both the accused while the petition is under consideration in the Islamabad High Court is based on malice,” the petition said.

It requested the high court to declare their arrests illegal, order their immediate release, and mandate that any future arrests should be subject to the court’s directives.

Additionally, it sought to prevent government institutions from arresting Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi without court orders.