Pakistan: Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan arrested in Al-Qadir, Toshakhana cases
What's the story
Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust and Toshakhana corruption cases on Monday, Dawn reported.
Khan, who is already imprisoned in Adiala Jail in the cipher case, was arrested after Accountability Court Judge Mohammad Bashir approved the arrest warrants and ordered the Adiala Jail superintendent to execute them.
An NAB team will likely interrogate Khan in jail after securing his physical remand from a court.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Khan, the chief of Pakistan's opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was arrested in August after he was sentenced to three years in another Toshakhana corruption case.
The conviction barred Khan from contesting elections and holding office for the next five years.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz)'s caretaker government approved Khan's jail trial in the cipher case. However, the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial based on Khan's plea.
Details
What's the Al-Qadir Trust case
The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency sent £190 million (roughly PKR 50 billion) to Pakistan after recovering it from a Pakistani real estate mogul.
Then-PM Khan didn't deposit the money to the state but permitted the businessman to use the money to partially pay off a fine of around PKR 450 billion imposed by the Supreme Court.
In exchange, he allegedly got 57 acres of land for a trust of Al-Qadir University, established by him and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
What Next?
About the Toshakhana case
The current Toshakhana case is reportedly distinct from the one in which Khan was found guilty in August and later released on bail.
That case was filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan against Khan for concealing income from selling gifts received from Toshakhana or the state repository.
Pakistan's law allows lawmakers to buy gifts from the state repository at a discounted price and sell them as well. However, concealing the profit derived from selling the gifts is illegal.
Facts
What's the cipher case?
In the 2022 cipher case, Khan is accused of making a classified document public.
The purported secret document sent from Washington to Islamabad allegedly claimed the United States (US) officials asked Pakistan's envoy to remove Khan from power.
The US State Department was reportedly displeased by Khan's neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine crisis and his Russia visit.
Although Khan denied disclosing the letter, he claimed it was proof that the US was behind the no-confidence motion resulting in his ouster.