£190m case verdict deferred for a third time

Accountability Court now to unveil its order on January 17

RAWALPINDI:

A trial court on Monday once again deferred announcing its verdict in the £190m corruption reference after two of the prime accused, former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, failed to show up in the court.

This was the third time that Islamabad Accountability Court-I Judge Nasir Javed Rana deferred announcing the crucial judgment reserved on December 18—the first two deferments respectively taking place on December 23 and January 6.

On December 23, the court had not given any reasons for not announcing the verdict but on January 6, the judge was attending a training session organized for all the district and session judges in Punjab and the federal capital.

A day earlier, on Sunday, the court staff had intimated the counsels for Imran and Bushra that the court was finally going to unveil its verdict and on Monday morning a group of eight media persons was anxiously awaiting the order in a courtroom inside Adiala Jail, where Imran is already detained.

The judge, Nasir Javed Rana, and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi also arrived on time.

When the proceedings commenced the judge allowed the media representatives to come close to the rostrum. However, neither Imran nor his wife appeared in the courtroom.

Later Judge Rana remarked that he had arrived at the court at 8:30am but neither Imran nor Bushra had arrived till 10:30am despite the fact that the court staff had informed the lawyers of the accused a day earlier that the verdict would be announced on January 13.

"I have sent messages to Imran Khan twice [in his prison cell], asking him to appear in court, but he has responded that he will not come until his wife and lawyers are present."

He said on January 6, he could not announce the verdict as he was attending a training course but now he had the written and signed verdict ready.

"However, since the accused have not appeared, I am postponing the announcement of the verdict. I will now deliver the decision in Adiala Jail on the morning of January 17," he said.

After the proceedings had ended, Bushra Bibi arrived at Adiala Jail, where she was informed that the hearing was over, upon which she left from outside the jail.

Later, PTI's senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Imran Khan's three sisters also came to the jail, but the staff did not permit them to enter.

NAB filed the reference on December 1, 2023 against eight accused persons including Imran and his wife. The court on January 6, 2024 declared the rest of six accused proclaimed offenders as they did not face the trial and escaped to foreign countries. The court indicted Imran and Bushra on February 27, 2024. The prosecution presented 35 witnesses, whom the defense later cross-examined.

Key witnesses in the case included PM's former principal secretary Azam Khan, former defense minister Pervez Khattak and former federal minister Zubaida Jalal.

Three different judges presided over the case at various stages of the trial while the final investigative officer, Mian Umar Nadeem, was cross-examined after 38 hearings.

The accountability court provided the accused 15 opportunities to complete their statements under Section 342. However, no witnesses were presented by the defense.

The court approved Bushra Bibi's pre-arrest bail while the PTI founder's bail was granted by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The IHC also directed the trial court to decide on the acquittal plea filed by the accused. A request by the defense to summon 16 witnesses as court witnesses was rejected.