PTI founder Imran Khan has completed one year in jail. He was arrested on August 5, 2023, from his Lahore residence of Zaman Park shortly after a court sentenced him to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case.
On that day the court in Islamabad had summoned Khan in person, but he failed to show up.
His lawyers did not file any plea seeking exemption from in-person appearance. Consequently, when the court announced its verdict at around noon, Islamabad police jumped into action to arrest Imran Khan from Lahore. It was unusually swift.
Khan was transported from Lahore to Attock, near Islamabad. He was held in Attock district jail for one month and 21 days before being moved to the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi where he is still being held.
The original court verdict that led to Khan’s arrest was suspended by the judiciary. The PTI leader also won relief in several other cases, but his release from jail is still not on the horizon given a host of cases registered in recent months.
The following is a bullet point summary of cases against Imran Khan:
First Toshakhana case: Khan was given three years in prison and arrested but the verdict was suspended by the Islamabad High Court, which ordered his release.
Cypher Case: This was the first case registered against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Queshi even before the Toshakhana case, but he was not arrested initially. When the Islamabad High Court suspended the Toshakha verdict, the authorities declared Khan arrested in cypher case. The Islamabad High Court later also acquitted both Khan and Qureshi.
Iddat or nikah case: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi faced charges of contracting marriage before the end of the mandatory iddat period after the divorce for Bushra Bibi. They were convicted and sentenced by a lower court but a district and sessions court upturned the verdict.
Al Qadir University or £190 million case: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi also face charges of returning £190 million to property tycoon Malik Riaz after the money was seized in the UK. It is alleged that Riaz favoured them by giving them a piece of land for Al Qadir University.
Second Toshakhana case: After the Islamabad High Court suspended Khan’s sentence in the first Toshakhana case, the authorities filed another Toshakha reference against Khan and Bushra Bibi. The duo is being interrogated in the case.
May 9 violence cases: Imran Khan also faces about a dozen FIRs for his alleged role in the May 9 violence that followed his arrest in 2023.
Toshakhana is the term used for a state gift repository.
