Bani Gala residence declared sub-jail for Bushra Bibi

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad district administration has declared the Bani Gala residence of former prime minister Imran Khan a sub-jail, where his wife Bushra Bibi will serve her 14-year jail sentence under tight security.

This decision was taken after an accountability court sentenced Khan and Bushra Bibi to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana case on Wednesday.

After being sentenced by the accountability court, Bushra Bibi was shifted from Adiala jail to their residence in Bani Gala, Islamabad.

The accountability court had sentenced Bushra Bibi to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment in the Toshakhana case, after which she had reached Adiala jail to surrender herself, but she was not arrested.

According to sources, Bushra Bibi has been shifted from Adiala jail to Bani Gala residence which has been declared a sub-jail.

Sources said that she would be confined to a room in the sprawling mansion. The authorities have deployed heavy security around the residence to prevent any untoward incident.

The Toshakhana case is a corruption case that involves the illegal selling of state gifts received by Khan during his tenure as the prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

According to the prosecution, Khan and his wife retained and sold various items, such as jewellery, watches, and cars, from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China, without depositing them in the treasury.

The court found them guilty of misusing their authority and causing a loss of PKR 787 million to the national exchequer.

Khan and Bushra Bibi pleaded not guilty to the charges and claimed that they were being politically victimized. Khan also accused the judiciary of being biased against him and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI

The Toshakhana case is the second conviction for Khan in less than a week. He has the right to appeal against all the verdicts. His legal team said that they would challenge the convictions in the higher courts and seek bail for him and his wife.

Bushra Bibi, who married Khan in 2018, is a spiritual healer who met him when he sought her guidance. She is rarely seen in public and wears a veil. She was on remand throughout the trial.