Imran's acquittal plea in £190m case rejected

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana on Thursday rejected the acquittal plea of PTI founder Imran Khan in the £190 million reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The court scheduled the cross-examination of the final witness for Friday (today).

The court had already linked the decision on Imran's wife Bushra Bibi's acquittal plea with the decision on the reference.

The case was heard inside the Adiala Jail. At the outset of the hearing, defence lawyers Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas and Usman Gul argued on Imran's acquittal plea. They said that after the Supreme Court's decision in NAB law amendments case, the reference had become irrelevant.

The plea was opposed by the NAB prosecution team. The NAB prosecutors argued that the PTI founder had misguided the cabinet and concealed the truth about the £190 million.

They said that cabinet decisions were protected in the NAB amendments and that the PTI founder received no direct financial benefits.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court rejected the acquittal plea. The judge fixed Friday for the cross-examination of the last witness in the case - Investigation Officer (IO) Mian Umar Nadeem. Later the hearing of the reference case was adjourned.