Imran arrested in gifts, £190m scam cases

NAB questions ex-PM in Adiala Jail; arrest made with permission of accountability court

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested former prime minister Imran Khan in connection with its investigations into the Toshakhana and £190 million corruption cases.

A NAB Rawalpindi team led by Assistant Director Waqarul Hasan arrested Imran from Adiala Jail on Monday evening, after taking permission from an accountability court.

The team also interrogated the PTI chairman for over one hour. Imran is currently detained at Adiala Jail in connection with a cipher case registered under the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

Earlier, Islamabad Accountability Court-I Judge Muhammad Bashir heard NAB’s request seeking compliance with an arrest warrant issued for the PTI chairman by the graft buster.

NAB Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Irfan Bhola, Investigation Officers Mohsin, Waqarul Hasan, Mian Umar Nadeem and others appeared on behalf of the accountability watchdog.

When the judge asked the NAB lawyers about the IHC orders in this case, the prosecutor said the matter was pending and that the IHC had neither suspended any order of the court nor issued any standing order.

The prosecutor requested the court to direct the Adiala Jail superintendent to take necessary action in compliance with the warrants.

He said Imran would be brought in the court for physical remand within 24 hours of his arrest. He said the warrant would be complied with, and the remaining legal steps would follow.

The prosecutor said it would be better if the court issued instructions to the jail superintendent to comply with the warrant.

Accepting the request, the judge ordered the Adiala Jail superintendent to take steps to comply with the arrest warrant as per the law.In the £190 million case, Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi was also questioned as an accused.

On Monday, Bibi appeared before a joint investigation team of NAB in Islamabad. The NAB team handed her a questionnaire and directed her to submit the replies.

In the cipher case, PTI's lawyer Shiraz Ahmad Ranjha filed an application in a special court, formed under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 to allow Imran’s wife, three sisters, and a nephew to appear in the courtroom during the trial.

In another case, pertaining to the allegedly illegal marriage of Imran and Bushra Bibi, the hearing was adjourned without any proceedings till November 18 because of the absence of Imran and Bibi’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat. The case was heard by Islamabad Civil Judge Qudratullah.