£190mn Al-Qadir Trust case: Imran sentenced to 14 years in prison

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan was awarded 14 years jail time in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case on Friday.

Meanwhile, Imran’s wife, Bushra Bibi was handed seven years’ jail time in the same case.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the verdict in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail.

The court also imposed fines on Imran and Bushra, amounting to Rs1 million and Rs500,000, respectively.

If the duo fails to pay the fines, an additional six months will be awarded to Imran and three months to Bushra.

Following the judgment, Bushra was arrested in the courtroom.

The same court on December 18 reserved its verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust case after the prosecution and defence completed their final arguments and fixed December 23 for the announcement of the judgment.

The court, on December 23, hearing the case at Federal Judicial Complex (FJC), instead of Adiala Jail did not announce the judgment and fixed January 6 for the announcement of its reserved judgment.

On January 6, the court again postponed the judgment, as Judge Javed Rana was on leave. The court staff informed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Imran’s lawyers that the decision will be announced on January 13.

Jailed since August 2023, Imran has been facing dozens of cases ranging from charges of graft and misuse of power, to inciting violence against the state after being removed from office in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022.

Case verdict merit-based: Info Minister

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the verdict was in accordance with the law and based on merit.

Talking to the media persons outside Parliament House in Islamabad along with Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, he said the PTI founder had failed to prove his innocence in the case.

“This is a mega corruption case in the country’s history,” Tarar said. “The defence counsel did not contest the case on merit but on political grounds.”

PTI to challenge verdict

PTI leader Omar Ayub condemned the judgement, saying the party would challenge that in superior courts.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said Imran was not the owner of the Al-Qadir University Project.

“We want to tell the world: Khan sahib has done no wrong. He has committed no crime. He has reaped no benefit. He has misused no authority. He does not incur any criminal liability.”

Background

NAB launched an inquiry into the Al-Qadir University Trust case - now called the £190 million reference - in March 2023, before turning it into an investigation on April 28.

According to NAB, Imran and his wife obtained billions of rupees and land measuring hundreds of kanals from Malik Riaz of Bahria Town in return for Rs 50 billion that was paid as a settlement with the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK and the same was adjusted instead of a fine imposed on him by the Supreme Court.

The couple was indicted on February 27, following a trial that lasted one year and involved the recording of statements from 35 witnesses by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). PTI lawyers cross-examined these witnesses.

Key witnesses included former Principal Secretary Azam Khan, former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, and former Federal Minister Zubaida Jalal.

Other defendants in the case are Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi; Shehzad Akbar, former special assistant to the prime minister on accountability and former chairman of Asset Recovery Unit (ARU); Malik Riaz Hussain, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bahria Town Private Limited, Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, former expert on international criminal law ARU, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, former trustee of Al Qadir Trust, and Ahmed Ali Riaz.