£190 Million Al-Qadir trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi enters final stage

The high-profile £190 million corruption case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi has reached its final stage as the couple recorded their statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The hearing was presided over by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Monday.

Imran Khan, the 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, has been incarcerated since August last year following his sentencing in the Toshakhana case-I. He faces dozens of cases stemming from his removal from office in April 2022. During the latest hearing, Bushra Bibi appeared in court after missing nearly 10 sessions. Following her appearance, the judge suspended her non-bailable arrest warrants.

Bushra Bibi informed the court that she would not present any witnesses in her defense. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing until December 12.

Previously, the court provided a 14-page questionnaire to the couple, featuring 79 questions about their alleged involvement in the settlement case. The questionnaire explored accusations that Imran Khan and his associates benefited monetarily, including acquiring 458 kanals of land, in exchange for facilitating the transfer of £171.159 million—part of the £190 million originally meant for the State of Pakistan.

The case centers on accusations that Imran Khan, during his tenure as prime minister, and his co-accused, including former special assistant on accountability Shahzad Akbar, facilitated a settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). The settlement involved adjusting Rs50 billion (£190 million) received from the NCA as part of a deal with a property tycoon.

The prosecution alleges that the tycoon benefited from the agreement and provided land worth billions to the Al-Qadir Trust, owned by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, for building an educational institute. NAB claims this agreement gave legal cover to the tycoon’s black money transferred from the UK.

The court cited evidence that Akbar, with Imran Khan’s knowledge, floated a misleading note in December 2019 that mischaracterized the land purchase agreement as a fine. It alleged that Khan instructed for the note to be added to the cabinet agenda without proper circulation, violating the Rules of Business, 1973.

The funds in question were sent to Pakistan by the NCA but were allegedly diverted to benefit a private entity. The settlement was approved by Imran Khan’s cabinet without disclosing details of the agreement. NAB contends that these actions resulted in a significant loss to the state.

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