PTI founder Imran Khan has now completed one year in jail. He was arrested on August 5, 2023, from his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park, shortly after being sentenced to three years in prison by a court in the Toshakhana case.
On the day of his arrest, Khan had been summoned to appear in person before a court in Islamabad, but he did not attend. His lawyers did not submit any request for exemption from appearing in person. As a result, when the court announced its verdict around noon, Islamabad police swiftly moved to arrest him in Lahore.
Khan was then transported from Lahore to Attock, near Islamabad, where he was held in Attock district jail for one month and 21 days before being transferred to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, where he remains incarcerated.
Although the original court verdict that led to Khan’s arrest was suspended by the judiciary, and he has secured relief in several other cases, his release from jail remains uncertain due to the numerous legal cases filed against him in recent months.
Summary of Cases Against Imran Khan:
- First Toshakhana Case: Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and arrested, but the verdict was later suspended by the Islamabad High Court, which ordered his release.
- Cypher Case: This was the first case filed against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, even before the Toshakhana case, but Khan was not initially arrested. After the Islamabad High Court suspended the Toshakhana verdict, authorities declared Khan arrested in the cypher case. The Islamabad High Court later acquitted both Khan and Qureshi.
- Iddat or Nikah Case: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi faced charges for marrying before the end of the mandatory iddat period following Bushra Bibi’s divorce. They were convicted and sentenced by a lower court, but a district and sessions court later overturned the verdict.
- Al-Qadir University or £190 Million Case: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are also accused of returning £190 million to property tycoon Malik Riaz after the money was seized in the UK. It is alleged that Riaz favored them by giving them land for Al-Qadir University.
- Second Toshakhana Case: Following the suspension of Khan’s sentence in the first Toshakhana case, authorities filed a second Toshakhana reference against Khan and Bushra Bibi. They are currently being interrogated in this case.
- May 9 Violence Cases: Imran Khan also faces about a dozen FIRs related to his alleged involvement in the May 9 violence that erupted after his arrest in 2023.
Toshakhana refers to the state gift repository.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
