Govt defends 'merit-based' verdict in £190 million case

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has defended the verdict in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, describing it as a merit-based decision grounded in the law.

Speaking to reporters outside the parliament house on Friday, he said the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to establish his innocence.

Flanked by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the information minister stressed that prominent legal experts had also recognised the judgment as fair and lawful. He condemned the use of religious narratives to mask corruption, calling it an unethical diversion.

Attaullah Tarar characterised the Al-Qadir Trust case as a historic corruption scandal, criticising the defence counsel for relying on political rhetoric instead of contesting the case on legal grounds.

He noted the defence’s inability to counter the prosecution's evidence, which ultimately shaped the verdict.

Echoing these sentiments, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar labelled the case “open and shut” and highlighted the unprecedented scale of corruption involved. “This is one of the most heinous acts of corruption in our history,” he said.

Moreover, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has termed the punishment of PTI founder Imran Khan in the £190 million case as a “retribution” and an example of accountability.

Speaking at a press conference in Sialkot, Asif emphasised that the funds in question belonged to the Pakistani public.

“The case has revealed everything. Al-Qadir University was merely a facade; the funds were embezzled, and the university barely exists,” Asif alleged. He added that despite owning 450 kanals of land, the institution remains largely inactive, with only 400 students enrolled after four years.

The minister also criticised Imran Khan for misusing donations intended for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust. Drawing a parallel with past cases, he stated, “False allegations led to Nawaz Sharif’s conviction, while investigations by the UK’s NCA cleared Hassan Nawaz of any wrongdoing.”

Imran, Bushra convicted in £190m case

Former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were convicted on Friday in the £190 million case. Imran Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Bushra Bibi received a seven-year jail term.

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the order in a courtroom inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where Imran had been detained for over one year.

In addition to the prison sentences, the court imposed fines of Rs1 million on Imran and Rs500,000 on Bushra. If the fines are not paid, Imran Khan will serve an additional six months in prison, and Bushra Bibi will face an extra three months.

The verdict also declared that the property of the "sham trust," Al-Qadir University Project Trust, is to be forfeited to the Federal Government in accordance with Section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The verdict was announced amid tight security outside jail. Following the verdict, Bushra Bibi was immediately arrested in the courtroom.

It is to be noted that judge Rana had reserved his verdict in the case on December 18 while adjourning the case till December 23. However, on December 23, the court deferred announcing the order without giving any reasons.

On January 6, the next date of hearing, the verdict was once again not unveiled as the judge was attending a training session organized for all the district and session judges.

Ahead of the last hearing of the case, the court staff informed counsels for Imran and Bushra that the judge was going to announce the verdict on January 13 but on that day, the court once again deferred announcing its verdict after Imran Khan and his wife failed to show up in the court.