Accountability court transfers new Toshakhana reference to special judge

The Accountability Court No 2 transferred the new Toshakhana reference against PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi to the Special Judge Central.  

According to 24NewsHD TV channel, the special judge will also hear Imran and Bushra Bibi’s bail plea tomorrow.

After the Supreme Court NAB amendment verdict, this reference is no longer of NAB, the court ruled in its three-page judgment.

The Supreme Court last week overturned its earlier, divided ruling that public representatives who benefited from amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government must face renewed corruption charges.

A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, reviewed the federal government’s intra-court appeal (ICA) against the Sept 15, 2023, majority judgement, which had declared amendments to the NAO illegal.

After the top court verdict, the PTI founder and his spouse moved the plea in the new Toshakhana reference before Judge Nahamad Ali Waraich of Accountability Court No 2.

The NAB prosecutors took the stand that after the SC decision, the new Tosha Khana reference was no longer within the jurisdiction of the NAB.

 The court should transfer the reference to another court while determining its jurisdiction, it was argued.

 The lawyers of founder PTI and Bushra Bibi argued that the NAB court should transfer the reference to another court, but the bail of the accused should be granted.

After more than three hours, the court delivered a two-page decision saying that this reference was no longer under NAB's jurisdiction after the NAB amendment decision.

 The reference is transferred to the special judge central and the special judge will hear the reference tomorrow.

The court questioned how it can grant bail if it is not hearing the reference now.