Rawalpindi (Web Desk): An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday postponed the ruling in the £190 million corruption case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi for the third time.
According to details, the court will now announce the verdict January 17.
In his remarks, Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed expressed annoyance saying that although he arrived at the court at 8:30 am and issued two summons for the accused but they failed to appear.
Former premier Imran Khan had previously claimed that the repeated delays of the verdict—first on December 23, 2024, and later on January 6, 2025—were meant to put pressure on him. However, on this occasion, the PTI founder himself was absent from the courtroom.
The judge shared his disappointment, stating, "I have been sitting in the courtroom for two hours, but none of them have appeared today." He added, "Let's give them another chance," expressing a willingness to offer the accused another opportunity to attend the proceedings.
On November 13, 2023, former premier was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The formal indictment of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi took place on February 27, 2024.
During the trial, statements from 35 witnesses were recorded in the case. Some notable figures, including former principal secretary Azam Khan, former chief minister Pervez Khattak, and former federal minister Zubaida Jalal, also provided testimony.
The trial witnessed a change of four judges. Initially, Judge Mohammad Bashir oversaw the hearings, followed by Judge Nasir Javed Rana.
Later, Judge Mohammad Ali Waraich took charge, before the case was returned to Judge Nasir Javed Rana for the final stages.
Throughout the proceedings, the court allowed the accused 15 chances to present their statements under Section 342, but no witnesses were brought forth by the defense.
The prosecution was led by a six-member NAB team, with Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi at the helm. Other members of the prosecution included special prosecutors Amjad Pervaiz, Sohail Arif, Irfan Bola, Barrister Owais Arshad, and Chaudhry Nawaz.
On the defense side, Barrister Salman Safdar, Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas, Usman Gul, and Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, among others, represented the accused.
It is pertinent to mention that the case revolves around accusations that while in office, Imran Khan facilitated the transfer of £190 million (Rs50 billion) from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan's government.
This was reportedly done without revealing the full details of the agreement, which mandated that the funds be deposited in the Supreme Court.
Imran Khan has consistently denied the corruption charges, claiming that they were part of a broader political conspiracy orchestrated by his rivals, who he argues misused state institutions to damage his reputation.
The case also implicates other individuals, including Mirza Shehzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari, and Farhat Shahzadi, all accused of participating in the misdirection of state funds.
