IHC halts verdict in £190m corruption case against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi

On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a temporary stay, preventing the trial court from delivering its final judgment in the £190 million corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

A two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar, heard Khan's petition requesting the submission of records from the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) previous decision to close the case.

During the session, Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Imran Khan, highlighted that the case originally included eight accused, of which six were currently at large. 

"A total of 35 witnesses have testified so far, with the cross-examination of the final witness in progress," Barrister Safdar informed the court.

He elaborated on the accusations against his client, stating that Khan was alleged to have facilitated a £190 million transaction during his tenure as prime minister. "The funds in question, according to NAB, were intended for a bank but were instead deposited into the Supreme Court’s account," Safdar added.

Addressing claims about Al-Qadir University, Barrister Safdar asserted that the institution, established under the Al-Qadir Trust, was fully operational and not a 'ghost project' as alleged by the government.

Justice Hassan queried whether the trust responsible for the university's establishment was officially registered. Barrister Safdar confirmed the registration and assured the court that additional documents would be provided at the next hearing.

The court cautioned Barrister Safdar against any attempts to delay the proceedings, warning that the stay order on the trial court's judgment could be revoked if such tactics persisted.

Subsequently, the IHC restrained the trial court from announcing its verdict and directed NAB to submit its response by Wednesday. The court also emphasised that the trial would proceed as scheduled.

Case Background

NAB initiated an inquiry into the Al-Qadir University Trust, now referred to as the £190 million case, in March 2023, upgrading it to an investigation on April 28.

According to NAB, Khan and his wife acquired substantial sums of money and large tracts of land from Malik Riaz of Bahria Town in exchange for Rs50 billion. 

This amount had been paid as part of a settlement with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and was subsequently adjusted against a fine imposed on Malik Riaz by the Supreme Court.

In May of the previous year, the PTI chairman was arrested by Rangers at the IHC premises while seeking bail in several FIRs filed against him. The IHC later declared his arrest lawful.

In February, Khan and Bushra Bibi were formally charged in the £190 million corruption reference by NAB during a hearing held at the Adiala Jail accountability court. Both denied the allegations against them.