The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan cannot be prosecuted under the amended Toshakhana rules for failing to deposit a Bulgari jewellery set gifted to him by the Saudi Crown Prince, reports Dawn.

Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb, in a detailed 14-page judgment, said that the 2023 amendments imposing penalty for not depositing gifts in the state treasury cannot be applied retrospectively. The court clarified that under the 2018 Toshakhana Rules, only depositing receipts was mandatory, not gifts.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had initiated criminal proceedings against Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, accusing them of undervaluing jewellery and causing a loss of Rs 32.8 million to the national exchequer.

However, the court said there were no allegations of "direct threats or pressure" from Khan regarding the low assessment process. The defence argued that Khan complied with the 2018 rules by submitting the required receipts and the court found no evidence to the contrary.

Citing considerable delays in the hearing, Justice Aurangzeb said Khan had not yet been charged despite being in detention for over four months, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The investigation was initially completed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), after which it was handed over to the FIA, but the trial court found nothing. The court stressed the need to comply with the bail conditions, requiring Khan to appear at all hearings and warned that the bail could be cancelled if it is misused.

At the special court handling the Toshakhana case, the FIA ​​prosecutor completed the cross-examination of Toshakhana section officer Bin Yamin, while Cabinet Division Coordination Wing Deputy Secretary Mohammad Ahad also testified. A total of three witnesses testified during the session and four more prosecution witnesses have been called for the next hearing scheduled on January 8.

Moreover, the much-awaited verdict in the £190 million corruption case involving Khan has been delayed again due to the absence of accountability court judge Nasir Javed Rana. The verdict, which was earlier reserved for December 18, is now expected on January 13.

The NAB has alleged that Khan's cabinet approved a confidential deed to return 190 million pounds seized by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2019 to real estate tycoon Malik Riaz.

NAB further claimed that Khan and his wife misused their position to facilitate this transaction and received billions of rupees and vast lands in return, reported Dawn.

According to NAB, Malik Riaz's son transferred 240 kanal of land to Farah Shahzadi, while Zulfi Bukhari got the land under a trust that did not exist at the time of transfer. NAB argued that the trust was created only after the funds were adjusted, raising questions about its validity.