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Imran Khan gets 14 years, Bushra Bibi 7 years in Al-Qadir trust case


Al-Qadir trust case

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years and fine of Rs 1 million  in the Al-Qadir Trust Case, while his spouse Bushra Bibi has been sentenced to seven years in Jail alongside a fine of Rs 500,000. The verdict for the case, also known as the 190 million pound case was finally announced today.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana of the Accountability Court led the hearing and announced the verdict, during which PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were present in the courtroom.

Imran Khan’s lawyers Salman Safdar, Salman Akram Raja and others including Chairman PTI Barrister Ali Gohar, and Shoaib Shaeen were also in the courtroom. A three member NAB’s prosecution team had also arrived during the hearing.

Bushra Bibi’s daughter Mubashra and her spouse were also present in the courtroom.

The court has also ordered that the Al-Qadir University be handed over to the state.

Also read: Imran Khan claims innocence ahead of Al-Qadir Trust verdict

The previous hearing was adjourned without the unveiling of the verdict after the judge expressed dismay over the no-show of the accused, which led to the postponement of the judgement till January 17.

Imran Khan was taken into custody by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on November 13, 2023, in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case. Both he and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were interrogated for 17 days at Adiala Jail.

The case proceeded after NAB filed a reference on December 1, 2023. Formal charges against the couple were submitted on February 27, 2024.

Key witnesses in the case included former cabinet member Pervez Khattak, ex-federal minister Zubaida Jalal, former principal secretary Azam Khan, and the Chief Financial Officer of Al-Qadir University. Additionally, the court declared six co-accused, including Zulfi Bukhari, Farhat Shahzadi, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, and Zia-ul-Mustafa Nasim, as absconders and ordered the freezing of their assets and bank accounts.

WHAT IS THE AL-QADIR TRUST CASE?

The NAB filed the case in December 2023, alleging that the PTI founder, Bushra Bibi, and others had misused their authority in a financial settlement involving Rs50 billion (approximately £190 million at the time).

The charges allege that the former prime minister approved a confidential settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) on December 3, 2019, without revealing its details. This agreement facilitated the return of funds from a property tycoon, Malik Riaz, to Pakistan. The money was then deposited into the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

Also read: Vawda predicts Imran Khan’s conviction in £190m case

In return, NAB officials claim the PTI founder and his wife received land worth billions of rupees from the tycoon to establish an educational institution. This deal allegedly gave legal protection to the tycoon’s black money received from the NCA.

The Al-Qadir Trust was formally established in Islamabad a few weeks after the PTI-led government approved the settlement.

The 71-year-old former cricketer and politician has been imprisoned since August 2023 after being sentenced in the Toshakhana case-I. The Al-Qadir Trust case is one of the numerous legal challenges he has faced since his ouster from power in April 2022.

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