£190m case: Court grants final chance for cross-examination

ISLAMABAD: In the £190 million case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, the Islamabad Accountability Court granted their lawyers a final opportunity to cross-examine two prosecution witnesses.

Presiding Judge Muhammad Ali Waraich issued a written order detailing the decision.

Read more: LHC nullifies physical remand orders of Imran Khan in May 9 cases

The court previously scheduled the next hearing for Friday. On the assigned day, the case was called at 10:40 am with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witnesses present, but Imran Khan’s legal team was absent.

The case was adjourned until 11:00 am. When it resumed, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present. But Khalid Yusuf, one of their advocates, informed the court that senior lawyers were on their way.

The judge’s order specifies that the lawyers for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi must complete their cross-examination of prosecution witnesses Umeer Ahmed and Mian Umar Nadeem by Tuesday.

The written order stipulated that these witnesses were required to provide their statements during the alotted time.

The £190 million case refers to a legal settlement involving a business tycoon and the United Kingdom’s (UK) National Crime Agency (NCA).

Read more: Imran Khan moves SJC against IHC judge

In December 2019, the NCA announced that it had reached a £190 million out-of-court settlement with the businessman. The case involved allegations of money laundering and illicit finances. As part of the settlement, the NCA recovered assets, including the high-value London property 1 Hyde Park Place, which was previously owned by the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The settlement did not include a formal finding of guilt. The funds from the settlement were intended to be returned to Pakistan, but the process and details surrounding the repatriation of these funds have been shrouded in controversy.

Concerns have also been raised about the transparency and effectiveness of the settlement.