Verdict in £190M Case Involving Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi Delayed Again Until Jan 17
Verdict in £190M Case Involving Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi Delayed Again Until Jan 17
ISLAMABAD:—The verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case involving 190 million pounds against Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his spouse Bushra Bibi has been postponed for the third time.
On Monday, Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced that the ruling would be delivered on January 17 before leaving the courtroom. The judge expressed frustration regarding the late arrival of counsel representing Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. It was previously reported that the judge had been present in the temporary courtroom at Adiala Jail since 9 a.m. The accused were not brought before the judge until approximately 10:30 a.m., prompting him to adjourn the proceedings until January 17.
The judge voiced his displeasure over the accused’s and their legal representatives’ absence. The verdict was expected to be announced at 11 a.m. in Adiala Jail. He pointed out that the PTI founder failed to attend court despite being reminded, and Bushra Bibi also did not appear even though she was aware of the scheduled verdict time. He mentioned that the signed judgment was prepared. He informed the prosecutor that he could not issue the verdict on January 6 because he was undergoing training. He noted that the accused had been provided numerous opportunities throughout the hearing and could not wait any longer.
It is important to note that the court reserved the verdict on December 18, 2024. Initially, the decision was to be announced on December 23, but it was later pushed to January 6 and January 13. The trial was concluded within a year. During that time, the NAB took statements from 35 witnesses, and the counsel for the PTI founder cross-examined these witnesses. Prominent witnesses in this case include former principal secretary Azam Khan, former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, and former Federal Minister Zubaida Jalal. The accused were formally charged on February 27 last year.
WHAT IS THE CASE?
The case concerning 190 million pounds involves a reference submitted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others in December 2023. This case focuses on an alleged agreement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which supposedly resulted in a loss of £190 million to the national treasury. Khan and the other defendants are accused of improperly utilizing £190 million transferred by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the settlement. Bushra Bibi is implicated due to her position as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust.
Furthermore, the couple is charged with receiving unauthorized benefits, including over 458 kanal of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, intended to establish Al-Qadir University. During Khan’s administration, the NCA confiscated £190 million worth of assets from the tycoon. Although the assets were supposed to be returned to Pakistan, the NCA considered the settlement a civil issue. However, the specifics of the confidential agreement were not revealed when Khan’s cabinet approved it in December 2019. According to this arrangement, the funds were to be presented to the Supreme Court on behalf of the property tycoon. Following this, the Al-Qadir Trust was set up in Islamabad. Trust members included PTI leaders Zulfi Bukhari, Babar Awan, Bushra Bibi, and her close associate Farah Khan. The real estate tycoon is said to have relinquished the land to construct an educational institution in return for legal protection.
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