• Police spox says officials arrived at Adiala Jail late Wednesday.
• Imran formally ‘arrested’ by Pindi police in Sept 27 protest case.
• FIR also names several other PTI leaders, including CM Gandapur.

Hours after the incarcerated founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, got bail in the new Toshakhana case, the Rawalpindi police booked the former premier in a new case lodged at the New Town police station.

The PTI founder is no longer wanted in any other case within Islamabad’s jurisdiction after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved his bail plea on Wednesday in the Toshakhana 2.0 case. The IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb accepted Imran’s bail plea against two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each.

In a new development unfolding late Wednesday, the police spokesperson said that a team of investigators of the Rawalpindi police led by SSP Investigation arrived at the Adiala Jail and formally “arrested” the former premier.

An anti-terrorism court will hear the case at Adiala Jail, the Rawalpindi police spokesperson said, adding that the police team will request the court to grant Imran’s physical remand.

An FIR (first information report) was filed at the New Town police station against Imran in connection with the PTI’s protest on September 27 this year.

The new case was registered against him over allegations of inciting arson and causing damage to property. The case was lodged under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI leaders, including Seemabia Tahir, Amir Mughar and Aliya Hamza, have been booked as co-accused along with the PTI founder.

Five suspects — Khalil, Imran, Sadaqat, Yaseen, and Tahir — were arrested from the scene, according to the FIR, which also states that a petrol bottle was recovered from the possession of suspect Tahir.

The charges included terrorism, attempted murder, vandalism, destroying public and state property, and interference in government operations, says the FIR.

Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were arrested in the case on July 13, shortly after the former first couple was acquitted by a district and sessions court of Islamabad in the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case.

The former first lady was released last month from jail in the Toshakhana 2.0 case after spending around nine months behind bars.

Their case was previously heard by the accountability court of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). However, it was transferred to the FIA in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict restoring amendments to the anti-corruption laws. 

Toshakhana 2.0

The reference filed by the NAB was related to a jewellery set gifted to Bushra by the Saudi royal family when her husband Imran was the prime minister of the country from 2018 to 2022.

The anti-graft watchdog further alleged that during his term as prime minister, Imran and his wife had received a total of 108 gifts from different heads of state and foreign dignitaries.

The anti-graft watchdog alleged that the former first lady received the jewellery set — comprising a ring, bracelet, necklace a pair of earrings — on her visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021. It said the PTI founder and his wife illegally kept the jewellery set.

The reference states that the deputy military secretary briefed the Toshakhana section officer to estimate and declare the price of the jewellery set, which it mentioned, was not deposited in Toshakhana.

The jewellery company sold the necklace for €300,000 and earrings for €80,000 on May 25, 2018. The information regarding the price of the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.

On May 28, 2021, the price of the jewellery set was estimated at Rs70.56 million; the price of the necklace was Rs50.64 million and the price of the earrings included in the jewellery valued at Rs10.50 million back then.

According to the rules, the 50% price of the jewellery set is approximately Rs35.28 million. The national exchequer suffered a loss of approximately Rs35.28 million after the jewellery was undervalued.