Pakistan’s watchdog files new corruption case against jailed former Premier Khan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog filed another corruption reference on Tuesday against incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife for illegally selling and purchasing foreign gifts, according to court records.

The National Accountability Bureau filed the reference in an accountability court in the national capital of Islamabad against Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

Khan was sentenced to three years in jail in August in the “Toshakhana case” for hiding details of foreign gifts that he had received as a prime minister during his nearly four-year stint from 2018 to 2021.

He was subsequently barred from holding public office for five years by the Election Commission.

The Islamabad High Court, however, suspended his sentence and ordered his release weeks later.

The new reference, which revolves around the same case, accuses Khan and his wife of causing losses to the national exchequer by unlawfully purchasing foreign gifts at cheaper prices and selling them for much higher prices, Khan's lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha told Anadolu.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been facing a slew of cases since his ouster in a no-confidence vote in April 2021. He has been languishing in a jail near Islamabad since August.​​​​​​​