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Pakistan grants extra powers to graft body probing Imran Khan

National Accountability Bureau granted ability to issue arrest warrants and detain suspects for 30 days if they do not cooperate with an investigation

Published: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 10:44 AM

Updated: Tue 4 Jul 2023, 7:10 PM

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Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan signs on surety bonds for bail in various cases, at a registrar office at the High court in Lahore on July 3, 2023. -- AFP

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan signs on surety bonds for bail in various cases, at a registrar office at the High court in Lahore on July 3, 2023. -- AFP

Pakistan has issued a presidential ordinance granting extra detention powers to the country's anti-graft body, which is currently investigating a case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan, media reported on Tuesday.

Khan, the country's main opposition leader who has faced a string of cases since being ousted from power last year, was arrested in the graft case in May, which led to violent protests across the country. He was later released on bail.

The legal tweaks involved granting the anti-graft body, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the ability to issue arrest warrants and detain suspects for 30 days if they did not cooperate with an investigation, Geo News reported.

Pakistan's information minister did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The move came hours before Khan and his wife were set to appear before the NAB in Islamabad and at hearings in other cases. The former premier left his home in the city of Lahore for Islamabad early on Tuesday, his party said.

The government can pass laws swiftly through a presidential ordinance when parliament is not in session, but the assembly has to endorse the law within 90 days.

Parliament was in session but was prorogued on Monday through a government notification uploaded on its website. The ordinance was issued on Monday night.

Government officials allege that Khan and his wife received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe from a real estate tycoon Malik Riaz through a charitable trust. Khan and his aides, as well as the tycoon, have previously denied any wrongdoing.

Pak court declares Toshakhana case against Khan inadmissible: Report

Islamabad, Jul 4 (PTI) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday declared the Toshakhana case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan inadmissible.

Khan, 70, was indicted in the Toshakhana case on May 10 by Additional Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar, who rejected objections about the admissibility of the case.

The PTI chief then approached the IHC, which had stayed criminal proceedings on the case till June 8.

Following the resumption of the hearing in June, Justice Aamer on June 23 reserved his verdict on the petition, saying that he would look into the matter after Eid ul-Adha.

On Tuesday, Chief Justice Amir Farooq declared the Toshakhana case against Khan inadmissible, ARY News reported.

The Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

The Toshakhana issue over the sale of state gifts received by the cricketer-turned-politician became a major issue in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the former premier for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.

Khan was accused of misusing his 2018 to 2022 premiership to buy and sell gifts in state possession that were received during visits abroad and worth more than Rs140 million (USD 635,000).

In his petition, the PTI chair objected to filing a complaint after a specified period.

His lawyer, Khawaja Haris, maintained that a complaint could only be filed within four months of submitting the return.

However, a day earlier, the PTI chief submitted a petition to the court, seeking Justice Aamer's recusal from the case.

In the petition, the former prime minister — who was removed from power via a no-confidence motion in April last year — sought the transfer of the two Toshakhana cases to another bench in the interest of a “fair and impartial” trial.

The petition has also named the district election commission as the respondent.

Meanwhile, the PTI chief's lawyer, Gohar Khan, has termed the verdict a "victory".

"An appeal was filed against the decision of the session judge in the Toshakhana case," he said, adding that the wrong person filed the complaint.

"We were trying in courts for a year. Today, PTI has won," he said.

Khan and his party have faced a country-wide crackdown after the violence that followed his arrest, that included the ransacking of military installations. Hundreds of supporters and dozens of leaders were detained, and many have left his party.



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