Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, was granted bail on Thursday, nearly nine months after her arrest in the Toshakana corruption case. Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb of Islamabad High Court granted bail. Thereafter, he was released on a bail of Rs 10 lakh. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) confirmed Bushra’s release in a WhatsApp message.
“Former First Lady Bushra Bibi has been released from prison,” the statement said, adding that she was first arrested on January 31. Bushra was arrested after being convicted by a court in a corruption case and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Accused of accepting gifts from foreign guests
In the Toshakana case, Khan and his wife were charged with corruption for profiting from the sale of gifts from foreign guests. Earlier, Justice Aurangzeb, who was hearing the bail plea, had asked the investigating officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) whether further questioning of the former first lady was needed. The official confirmed that no further investigation was required. Bushra is Imran Khan’s third wife.
Meanwhile, prosecution proceedings against Khan and Bushra were postponed on Wednesday due to security concerns, with the trial taking place at Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala jail and being moved to the Judicial Complex in Islamabad. However, due to safety concerns, the proceedings were stopped and the court set October 26 as the arraignment date.
Bushra’s release comes as a relief to PTI and Khan, who has maintained that his wife has nothing to do with the case.
