ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court has revealed that the verdict in the 190 million pound reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi would be announced on January 6, 2025.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana held the hearing on the £190 million reference against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. PTI’s legal counsel advocate Khalid Chaudhry represented them in the court.
During the hearing, the judge deferred the decision, citing upcoming holidays and commitments with the high court. Advocate Khalid Chaudhry expected a verdict to be announced during the hearing. However, the court indicated that a new date would be provided shortly.
Later, court staff confirmed that the reserved verdict would now be announced on January 6.
The trial, which concluded within a year, saw NAB record statements from 35 witnesses. The court had reserved the verdict on December 18, initially scheduled for announcement on December 23.
The 190 million pound case involves a reference filed by NAB against former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others in December 2023.
The case centers around an alleged settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pound to Pakistan’s national exchequer.
Khan and the accused are alleged to have misused 190 million pound sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the settlement. Bushra Bibi was named as an accused for her role as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust.
Additionally, the couple is accused of receiving undue benefits, including over 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for the establishment of Al-Qadir University.
During Khan’s tenure, the NCA seized 190 million pound worth of assets from the tycoon. The assets were meant to be handed to Pakistan, with the settlement deemed a civil matter by the NCA.
However, the details of the confidential agreement were not disclosed when Khan’s cabinet approved it in December 2019. Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad.
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