Rawalpindi:
In a significant development in the Toshakhana-2 case involving a Bulgari jewelry set, which is allegedly preserved by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, two central witnesses have testified that the tariff was pressed for the underestimation of the ornaments.
The case concentrates on an expensive set of jewelry – a necklace, earrings, bracelets and rings – gifted by the Saudi royal family for the former prime minister. According to investigators, the set was assessed at an artificially low price, which allowed Khan and his wife to buy it a fraction of its actual value and thereby cause a significant loss to the national tax.
The latest revelations came three days after a special judge central completed the crossing of the two witnesses, the tariffman Sohaib Abbasi and Imran Khan’s former personal secretary, Inamullah Shah.
The negotiations held in Adiala Prison extended over six hours.
Abbasi told the court that he was assigned the responsibility of appreciating the Bulgari set on May 25, 2022 of the cabinet department.
He claimed that Shah later visited him and communicated that the defendants would keep the set and instructed him to determine the valuation to a maximum of RS5 million. According to Abbasi, Shah warned that refusal would result in his blacklist from government departments.
Under pressure, he said, he underestimated the set and filed a false assessment report.
Abbasi admitted during testimony that he took up the investigation on May 23, 2024 and sought a pardon for his role in the undervaluation.
Shah confirmed in his own testimony to Abbasis’s account. He said to the court, “I asked Sohaib Abbasi to make an underrated assessment of the set and he agreed.”
He added that he remained at Abbasis’s office for 30 to 45 minutes during the process.
Shah also revealed that he had drawn double pay while serving both PTI and the government. He explained that from 2019 to 2021 he held the position of Comptroller in the Prime Minister’s House, while also receiving a salary from PTI Central Secretariat.
He was eventually removed from his official post, not because of the double wages, but because of Bushra Bibi’s disapproval. According to him, she suspected Shah’s brother had close ties with alienated PTI leader Jahangir Tareen.
The case has seen several legal terms. In July 2023, an Islamabad court excluded the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from pursuing the Toshakhana reference against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and transferring the case to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). It is now before a special judge central that is also tasked with deciding the bail applications for Khan and his wife.
