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LegaL woes deepen for pTI founder as Imran, Bushra convIcTed In £190m aL-QadIr TrusT case Saturday, 18 January, 2025 I 17 Rajabul Murajjab, 1446
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COURT IMPOSES FINES OF RS1 MILLION ON IMRAN AND RS500,000 ON BUSHRA BIBI RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
ORMER premier Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi on Friday were convicted in the £190m AlQadir Trust case with the PTI founder being sentenced to 14 years in prison and a seven-year jail term for his wife. Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the verdict previously delayed three times in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail. The couple was indicted in the case on Feb 27, 2024, shortly after the general elections. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail ahead of the hearing, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had said: “You can guess the injustice that have occurred over the last two years. “If a fair decision is made, Imran
and Bushra will be acquitted,” he said. The case alleges that Imran and Bushra Bibi obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd for legalising Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the United Kingdom during the previous PTI government. On December 23 — the original date the verdict was supposed to be announced — an Islamabad accountability court postponed its verdict in the case until Jan 6 due to winter vacations. On January 6, the decision could not be pronounced as Judge Nasir Javed Rana, who has been hearing the case, was on leave. In the subsequent hearing on Jan 13, the judge cited the reason for the delay as Imran and Bushra’s failure to appear before his accountability court at the
Defense failed to counter evidence in £190m scam, says Tarar ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Friday criticized the defense counsel in the £190 million corruption case, claiming they failed to counter evidence presented by the prosecution. Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, Tarar termed the case one of the largest corruption scandals in Pakistan’s history. He alleged that the defense team focused on political rhetoric rather than presenting substantive evidence to prove the innocence of the accused, including Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. “The judge, in the verdict, clearly stated that the defense counsel could not provide evidence to refute the prosecution’s proofs of bribery, corruption, and misuse of authority,” Tarar said. Highlighting the scandal’s details, Tarar stated that the funds in question were confiscated by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and returned to Pakistan. However, he accused the PTI leadership of diverting the recovered amount back to the person it was initially seized from, calling this move a blatant misuse of power.
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AL-QADIR UNIVERSITY PROJECT TRUST FORFEITED TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Adiala Jail. Imran was incarcerated in 2023 in a series of legal cases, which he claims were “politically motivated”. Last year, he was acquitted in the Toshakhana and Iddat cases but was newly charged in the Toshakhana 2 case.
In December 2023, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven others, including his wife, in connection with the AlQadir University Trust. The reference filed by NAB al-
ISLAMABAD
meeting, Chaudhry also revealed that Bushra Bibi expressed her unwavering support for Khan, saying: “I stand with him and will continue to do so.” He also confirmed that Bushra Bibi would soon be shifted to a cell in Adiala Jail. Chaudhry, however, remained optimistic, asserting: “We will win this match. This is a match for justice and fairness in the country, and Imran Khan will emerge victorious.” An accountability court in Islamabad — after delaying the verdict three times — convicted the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million case.
Imran Khan vows to ‘endure imprisonment’, calls for upholding rule of law STAFF REPORT
After the court’s verdict in the £190 million reference, former prime minister Imran Khan reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law, declaring that he would endure imprisonment for as long as necessary. This was disclosed by his lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, following a meeting with Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at Adiala jail, moments after the court awarded the couple years-long imprisonment. Speaking to the media after the
leged that Imran, who is currently in jail, played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”. It also claimed that despite being given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with mala fide intention, refused to give information on one pretext or another. Property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari are also among the suspects in this reference, but instead of joining the investigation and subsequent court proceedings, they absconded and were subsequently declared proclaimed offenders (PO). Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Imran’s spouse, and Ziaul
Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert for the PTI government’s Assets Recovery Unit, were also declared POs. Subsequently, the properties of all six accused had been frozen. As per the reference, Riaz’s son transferred 240 kanals of land to Shahzadi, while Bukhari received land under a trust, which NAB argued did not exist at the time of the transfer. The prosecution further alleged that a trust was created only after the adjustment of £190m, raising doubts about its legitimacy and purpose. In July 2024, Pervez Khattak, a key PTI leader back then who parted ways with the party in 2023 following the May 9 riots, testified before a court that he was a participant in the December 2019 meeting, where then-accountability adviser Mirza Shahzad Akbar produced a confidential deed in a sealed envelope for cabinet approval.
RAWALPINDI
Khan and Bushra Bibi were present Bushra Bibi was awarded seven years imprisonment. The court also imposed fines of Rs1 million and Rs500,000 on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi respectively. Both individuals would have to face additional prison time if they fail to pay the fines. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi would have to face additional face six-month and three-month imprisonments in case of non-payment. Bushra Bibi was taken into custody from the courtroom in Rawalpindi. The accountability court also ordered to take Al-Qadir University into government custody.
Bushra Bibi arrested after conviction in £190 million case STAFF REPORT
Former first lady, Bushra Bibi, was taken into custody following conviction in a £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. Bushra Bibi reached Adiala Jail to join her incarcerated husband as the NAB court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict in the Toshakhana-II case. An Accountability Court awarded a 14-year jail term to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in a £190 million AlQadir Trust case. Judge Nasir Javed Rana pronounced the verdict at Adiala Jail where accused Imran