Imran Khan seeks relief in £190 million case after Supreme Court reinstates NAB laws

Former PM has filed acquittal plea in the NAB court following the Supreme Court’s decision.

Following the Supreme Court's reinstatement of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments, PTI founder Imran Khan has decided to seek relief from ongoing legal cases.

Imran Khan has submitted a plea for acquittal in the NAB court concerning the £190 million reference. The hearing took place at Adiala Jail, presided over by Judge Nasir Javed Rana.

His lawyers said that after the apex court's restoration of the amendments made to the NAB laws, the  £190 million reference against Imran Khan holds no ground since the changes grant immunity to all decisions taken by the cabinet.

Imran's legal team has requested that his acquittal plea be consolidated with a similar plea filed by Bushra Bibi in the same reference.

They argued that since Bushra Bibi's acquittal plea is already on record, Imran's request should be linked to it.

NAB's legal representatives have opposed Imran's plea, arguing that the court's jurisdiction over the reference remains unchanged despite the Supreme Court's decision.

They contend that the defence should have first challenged the court's jurisdiction before seeking acquittal.

They also assert that jurisdiction must be determined before any acquittal can be granted.

The court has issued a notice to NAB and all other relevent parties regarding Imran's acquittal plea and has adjourned the next hearing until Tuesday, September 10.

Supreme Court reinstates NAB amendment bill

The Supreme Court reinstated the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Bill, allowing the appeals filed by the federal government and others.

A five-member bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, heard the case and delivered a unanimous 5-0 verdict.

The court ruled that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was unable to prove the NAB Amendment Bill violated the Constitution.

Chief Justice Isa also noted that while the NAB law does not cover the judiciary and certain institutions or individuals, no amendments were made to address this. He added that Parliament had the authority to enact such legislation.

What is the £190 million case?

The case alleges that Imran Khan and others involved adjusted Rs 50 billion—equivalent to £190 million at the time—that was transferred by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government. This sum was part of a settlement with a property tycoon.

As Prime Minister, Khan obtained cabinet approval for this settlement on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the confidential details of the agreement. The arrangement stipulated that the funds would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

According to NAB officials, Khan and his wife received land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, intended for the construction of an educational institute.

This was allegedly in exchange for providing legal cover for the tycoon’s illicit funds received from the UK crime agency.