An Islamabad accountability court has postponed its verdict in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. The decision, which had been reserved on December 18 and scheduled for announcement today, was deferred due to the upcoming winter court vacations and ongoing judicial obligations, Dawn reported.
Presiding over Monday’s hearing, Judge Nasir Javed Rana informed the court that the verdict would not be announced as planned. “The verdict will not be announced today; [winter] vacations are coming and there is also a course at the high court,” the judge said. The winter break is set to begin on December 24 and continue until January 1. Judge Rana assured that a new date for the verdict announcement would be communicated soon.
The Al-Qadir Trust case, filed by Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB), accuses Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi of receiving billions of rupees and large tracts of land from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for facilitating the legalisation of PKR 50 billion, a sum returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the PTI government’s tenure. Both were indicted in February 2023.
The NAB alleges that Imran Khan played a “pivotal role” in diverting funds meant for the state into accounts designated for Bahria Town’s land payments. Despite multiple opportunities to present evidence, the accused allegedly withheld information with “mala fide intention.”
Other suspects in the case include property magnate Malik Riaz Hussain, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, and former PTI officials Mirza Shehzad Akbar and Zulfi Bukhari. The court has declared them proclaimed offenders due to their failure to cooperate with investigations. Additionally, the properties of six accused individuals, including Farhat Shahzadi, a close confidant of Bushra Bibi, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal advisor to the PTI government, have been frozen.
Imran Khan has denied all charges, describing them as politically motivated and a strategy to suppress dissent. “My political rivals have weaponised institutions to crush dissent and curb democracy,” Khan stated while testifying before the court on December 10.
Khan has been detained in Adiala Jail since his arrest last year in connection with various cases. His imprisonment has deepened the rift between PTI and the government, sparking multiple protests by his party supporters. The demonstrations, often met with state repression, have led to violent clashes, with PTI alleging the deaths of dozens of its members—a claim denied by the government.
The case has also added to the tensions surrounding PTI, with renewed calls to ban the party and heightened scrutiny on its activities. Despite the unrest, both the government and PTI have initiated talks through their respective negotiation committees to address ongoing disputes. The two sides are expected to meet today to discuss their demands.
(Inputs from ANI)