Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday announced that it would be challenging the conviction handed down to party founder and former premier Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190m Al-Qadir Trust case.
Addressing a press conference alongside other party leaders, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub confirmed that PTI would take the matter to higher courts to seek justice.
Opposition Leader in the Senate, Senator Shibli Faraz, expressing his dismay, called the day of the verdict a “Black Day” for the country, and he strongly criticized the case against Imran Khan, calling it without merit.
He defended the Al-Qadir University initiative, emphasizing that it had no negative impact on the state and did not benefit Khan or Bushra personally in any way.
Faraz further highlighted the positive contributions made by Imran Khan to Pakistan, particularly through the establishment of Namal University and a vast network of cancer hospitals, some of the largest in the country.
He questioned why someone who had contributed so significantly to the betterment of society was being penalized for setting up an educational institution like Al-Qadir University.
The PTI senator argued that those who had plundered the country were still revered, while law-abiding citizens suffered under economic hardships or found themselves unjustly imprisoned.
Shibli Faraz reaffirmed PTI’s dedication to fighting for justice through the legal process, citing the party’s past efforts in cases such as the cipher case and Toshakhana matter, both of which were dismissed by the courts.
Meanwhile, speaking to a private news channel, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram confirmed that the party would move the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the conviction.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala jail, Imran Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry also spoke out against the case accusing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of politicizing its investigations.
He stated that the evidence presented by the public prosecutor was insufficient and did not show any proof of financial corruption, illegal profits, or money laundering. He emphasized that no court, whether in Pakistan or the UK, had found any financial wrongdoing linked to Khan, despite the claims.
Earlier on Friday, an accountability court in Islamabad sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former premier Imran Khan 14 years in prison and his wife Bushra Bibbi to 7 years in connection with £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
The decision was delivered by Judge Nasir Javed Rana inside the premises of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Khan has been incarcerated for more than a year.
Along with the sentences, the court also imposed substantial fines on both of them. Imran Khan was fined Rs1 million, while Bushra Bibi Rs0.5 million respectively.
As per the verdict, Imran Khan was found guilty of engaging in "corrupt practices" and "abusing his position of authority," while Bushra Bibi faced charges for her involvement in "illegal activities."
As part of the verdict, the court ordered the Al-Qadir Trust University, linked to the couple, to be handed over to the federal government for further management.
Following the announcement, Bushra Bibi was immediately taken into custody, and a cell at Adiala Jail had already been prepared for her.
As per the allegations raised in the reference, Khan, in his capacity as prime minister, authorized the settlement of a sum amounting to £190 million (approximately Rs50 billion) transferred by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government of Pakistan.
This transaction, which was approved by the federal cabinet on December 32019, was purportedly kept confidential, with Khan failing to disclose the agreement's particulars.
The arrangement stipulated that the funds be placed in the custody of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.