An accountability court docket has determined to postpone ruling on the £190 million settlement case towards jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his partner, Bushra Bibi, sources claimed on Sunday.
Sources instructed Geo Information that the listening to of the case towards the couple can be held tomorrow (Monday) within the accountability court docket in Islamabad as an alternative of Adiala Jail, the place the previous prime minister is incarcerated.
In the meantime, the PTI’s authorized workforce has additionally been notified of the event because the accountability would give new date for the announcement of verdict tomorrow, sources added. The ruling can be introduced within the first week of January 2025, they stated.
On December 18, Accountability Choose Nasir Javed Rana reserved the ruling after the counsels of PTI founder Khan and his spouse concluded their remaining arguments within the case. The incarcerated ex-premier and former first woman had been indicted within the high-profile corruption case on February 27 final yr.
Through the one-year lengthy trial, the Nationwide Accountability Bureau (NAB) recorded testimonies of 35 witnesses, together with former principal secretary Azam Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ex-chief minister Pervez Khattak and former federal minister Zubaida Jalal.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August final yr after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I — one of many dozens circumstances registered towards the previous premier since his ouster from energy in April 2022.
What’s £190 million case?
The NAB had filed the reference towards Khan, Bushra, and others in December 2023. The couple is going through the inquiry associated to a settlement between the PTI authorities and a property tycoon, which reportedly prompted a lack of £190 million to the nationwide exchequer.
As per the costs of the case, Imran and different accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million on the time — despatched by Britain’s Nationwide Crime Company (NCA) to the Pakistani authorities as a part of the settlement with a property tycoon.
Subsequently, the then-prime minister obtained approval for the settlement with the UK crime company from his cupboard on December 3, 2019, with out disclosing the main points of the confidential settlement.
It was determined that the cash can be submitted to the Supreme Courtroom on behalf of the tycoon.
In response to the NAB officers, the PTI founder and his spouse obtained land price billions of rupees from the property tycoon, to construct an academic institute, in return for putting a deal to provide authorized cowl to the property tycoon’s black cash acquired from the UK crime company.
Later, the Al-Qadir Belief was established in Islamabad a couple of weeks after the PTI-led authorities permitted the settlement with the property tycoon.