Imran blasts delay in ‘bogus’ £190m Al-Qadir Trust case verdict as pressure tactic – Pakistan

An Islamabad accountability court on Monday once again postponed its verdict in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption reference against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi due to lack of a judge, prompting the PTI founder to criticize the delay as a pressure tactic.

Imran and Bushra were charged in the case on February 27, shortly after the general elections. The case alleges that Imran and Bushra obtained billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd to legalize Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the previous PTI government.

Yesterday, amid rumors about the verdict being postponed, Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry, one of the lawyers representing Imran and Bushra, claimed that there had been no confirmation that the verdict had been postponed.

The decision could not be pronounced today because Judge Nasir Javed Rana was on leave and was adjourned until January 13.

A post on Imran’s X account conveyed the content of his media talk today at Adiala Jail, including his reaction to the delay.

“The decision of the Al-Qadir Trust is being posted only to put pressure on me like in the previous cases, but I demand that this decision be issued immediately because just as his face was blackened in the first Iddat case and in the Cipher case, it will be the same again,” Imran said in the statement, adding that he also called the case “false” and without merit.

This is the second time the verdict in this case has been postponed. On December 18, the court reserved its verdict after the defense concluded its reasoning, saying that the verdict would be announced on December 23.

Then, while presiding over the hearing on December 23, Judge Rana adjourned the hearing to January 6 as the court went on winter vacation from December 24 to January 1.

In December 2023, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption complaint against Imran and seven others, including his wife, in connection with the Al-Qadir University Trust.

The reference filed by NAB alleged that Imran, who is currently in prison, played a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan to an account designated for payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi.”

He also stated that despite having been given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, the accused deliberately, with malicious intent, refused to provide information under one pretext or another.

Real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar and Zulfi Bukhari are also among the suspects in this reference, but instead of joining the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings, they absconded and were subsequently declared offenders. (PO). .

Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Imran’s wife, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert with the PTI government’s Asset Recovery Unit, were also declared POs. Subsequently, the properties of the six accused were frozen.

While testifying before the accountability court on December 10 last year, Imran termed the corruption charges against him as “politically motivated” orchestrated by his opponents, allegedly with the support of state institutions.

“My political rivals have used institutions as weapons to crush dissent and stop democracy,” he had said.

the reference

The reference said that the “accused […] They were given multiple opportunities to justify and provide information, but deliberately, with malicious intent, they refused to provide the information under one pretext or another.

“Furthermore, it is clear from their responses that they have nothing in their defense to refute the aforementioned accusations. Therefore, everyone has committed a crime” according to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).

It added that the investigation procedures and findings so far “established that the accused, in collusion with each other, have committed the crime of corruption and corrupt practices” as defined in the NAO.

The reference said Imran played a “pivotal role” in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state that ultimately benefited Riaz.

Akbar, former special assistant to the prime minister and head of the Asset Recovery Unit, played a “crucial role” in the “illegal design of funds” meant for the state, according to the reference.

Malik, the reference said, had “actively aided, abetted and assisted and acted in conspiracy” with the other respondents in the diversion of funds intended for the State.

Bushra Bibi and Shahzadi also played a “significant” and “crucial” role in the “illegal activities”, the latter also being a “front man” for Imran and his wife, he claimed.

The referral said it was “fair and appropriate” to proceed against the eight suspects as there was “sufficient incriminating evidence” available to justify the referral.

He requested that the eight suspects be tried and punished in accordance with the law by the court or any other court entrusted with the referral.



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