£190m case hearing to resume today

NAB likely to request for an extension in Imran’s remand period before accountability court

ISLAMABAD:

 A trial court is scheduled to resume on Monday (today) the hearing of the £190 million corruption case, with former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi as the primary defendants.

Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad Accountability Court-I will preside over the hearing in a courtroom within Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where Imran, also the chairman of the PTI party, is currently detained.

The court is expected to address Bushra’s request for interim bail in the case.

Additionally, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the prosecution in the case, is set to ask for another remand period for the former premier.

Previously, the court remanded Imran—who is already in prison—to NAB custody concerning the graft investigation.

The court had instructed NAB to conclude its investigation and present a report by Nov 27 (today).
On Sunday, a NAB team conducted continuous interrogation sessions of the PTI chairman at the Adiala Jail for 13 hours – 9:30am till 10:45pm. The NAB team completed the investigation against the PTI chairman.

During the hearing on Monday (today), Imran’s wife, his sisters – Aleema Khan, Uzma Khanum, and Noreen Khanum—are also scheduled to appear in court.

Read Imran moves SC for bail in £190m case

Imran is expected to confer with his legal team.

Tight security measures have been implemented within and around the jail premises in preparation for the hearing.

On May 9, NAB officials, aided by paramilitary Rangers, arrested Imran from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with the case.

This abrupt arrest triggered violent protests across the country, allegedly led by PTI workers and supporters, who attacked military installations and memorials.

Despite the Supreme Court declaring the arrest illegal and releasing Imran, authorities launched a massive crackdown against the party.

Consequently, several PTI leaders hastily announced their departure from Imran’s party in impromptu news conferences, leading to the party's gradual disintegration.