Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been convicted in the Al-Qadir Trust case. This case is related to a fraud of 190 million pounds. The court has sentenced PTI founder Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to 7 years in prison.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana pronounced this verdict amid tight security in a temporary court set up in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Imran Khan has been lodged in Adiala Jail for the last 18 months. After the verdict was pronounced, Bushra Bibi was also arrested from the court itself. The court has imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Imran and Rs 5 lakh on Bushra. If the fine is not paid, he will have to serve six months more in jail.
According to the report of Pak newspaper Dawn, this case is related to the transaction of land and money related to Bahria Town, in which Imran Khan is accused of corruption. This happened during Imran Khan’s tenure as PM. Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were accused of acquiring billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Limited. The court found these allegations to be true and convicted Imran and Bushra.
NAB had registered the case
The case against Imran and Bushra started in December 2023, when NAB (National Accountability Bureau) registered a corruption case related to Al-Qadir University Trust against Imran and his wife. Both were accused of using black money to pay for the land of Bahria Town, Karachi. Imran and Bushra Bibi allegedly acquired billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Limited to legalize Rs 50 billion.
Before the hearing outside Adiala Jail, PTI Chairman Gauhar Ali Khan said that the limits of injustice have been crossed with Imran Khan in the last two years. He clearly said that if there was a fair verdict, Imran and Bushra would have been acquitted because this whole matter is political. This case is a big turning point in the politics of Pakistan. Imran Khan’s arrest and sentencing can increase political tension in the country. All this has happened at a time when talks have started between Imran Khan’s party, government and army just a day ago.
Before the verdict on the Khan couple, PTI Chairman Barrister Gauhar Ali Khan outside Adiala Jail had claimed, “You can guess the justice that has been done in the last 2 years. If there is a fair verdict, Imran and Bushra will be acquitted.”
Bushra arrested from the court room itself
Judge Nasir Javed Rana gave an important verdict today in a temporary court in Adiala Jail. Whereas before this the decision on the sentence has been postponed 3 times. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Imran and Rs 5 lakh on Bushra. In case of not paying the fine, they will be sentenced to 6 months in jail. The verdict was pronounced amid tight security outside Adiala Jail, after which Bushra was arrested from the court room itself.
Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Court of Islamabad had fixed January 17 today to pronounce the verdict. According to local media reports, Justice Nasir Javed Rana had completed the hearing of the case on December 18 last year, while he had reserved the date of December 23 for pronouncing the verdict. Later, he fixed January 6 as the date for pronouncing the verdict.
If there is a fair verdict, they will be acquitted: PTI Chairman
Justice Rana was on leave on January 6, so the verdict was postponed till January 13. Then the Justice once again postponed the announcement of the verdict till January 17, citing the absence of the accused in the court.
The Khan couple was indicted in the case on February 27 last year, immediately after the general elections. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail before the verdict, PTI Chairman Barrister Gauhar Ali Khan had said, “You can imagine the injustice done in the last two years. If there is a fair verdict, Imran and Bushra will be acquitted.” The case alleged that Imran and Bushra Bibi acquired billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town Limited, and also alleged that Rs 50 billion returned to Pakistan by the UK National Crime Agency under an agreement with a property dealer was misused.
Several cases pending against Imran Khan
On December 23, the day the verdict was to be pronounced, the Anti-Corruption Court in Islamabad postponed its verdict in the case till January 6 due to winter holidays. Then on January 6, the verdict could not be pronounced as Justice Rana, who was hearing the case, was on leave. In the next hearing on January 13, the Justice cited Imran and Bushra’s failure to appear before the court in Adiala Jail as the reason for the delay.
Imran has been in jail since 2023. He is in jail in several legal cases, which he claims are “politically motivated” against him. Last year, he was acquitted in the Toshakhana and Iddat cases, but a new charge was leveled against him in the Toshakhana 2 case.
