Pakistan's accountability court halts Imran Khan's bail pleas hearing till January 4

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 31 (ANI): The accountability court on Saturday put off the hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan's bail applications in Toshakhana (gift repository) and Pound 190 million settlement references till January 4 without any proceedings, The Express Tribune reported on Sunday.
It reported that the Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir postponed the hearing because National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi was absent because of health issues.
The anti-graft body had to present its arguments on the bail applications.
Defence lawyer Latif Khosa has already completed his arguments.
A day earlier, the court adjourned the hearing of the bail applications in the two references till Saturday.
The Toshakhana is a state department that retains gifts given by state officials, foreign diplomats, and heads of different governments.
According to the Constitution of Pakistan, the recipient of the gifts must report them to the cabinet division and pay an appropriate amount if they want to keep them personally.
On December 19, NAB filed a new reference against Imran and his wife in the accountability court for allegedly retaining 58 gifts against an undervalued amount of over Rs142 million of the total of 108 that the couple had received from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries during the PTI founding chairman's tenure as the premier.
Earlier on December 1, NAB filed a £190 million corruption reference against Imran, his wife Bushra Bibi, a close family friend Farah Gogi, and others in the accountability court.
NAB launched an investigation against Imran, his wife and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of kanals of land in the name of Al-Qadir University Trust, which reportedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national exchequer.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) confirmed on Saturday that it has rejected the nomination papers for Imran Khan, dealing a major blow to the former Prime Minister ahead of the upcoming elections slated for February 8, 2024, The News International reported on Saturday.
Despite being disqualified from contesting the upcoming general elections in Pakistan, jailed ex-PM Imran Khan submitted his nomination papers from his home constituency in Mianwali on Friday, as reported by Geo News.
Khan had his nomination papers submitted for the National Assembly's NA-89 constituency. PTI leader Umar Bodla appeared on the former prime minister's behalf.
The PTI founder, a 70-year-old former international cricket star, has been at the centre of a political crisis since he was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. (ANI)