An accountability court in Islamabad deferred announcing—for a third time—the verdict in the £190m Al-Qadir Trust case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana said he was postponing the verdict until Jan. 17 (Friday) over both Khan and Bushra’s failure to appear before the court at Adiala Jail. Earlier, the decision was postponed on Dec. 23, 2024 and Jan. 6, 2025, the first time due to winter vacations of the judiciary and the second time due to the unavailability of the judge.
“Bushra Bibi had knowledge of the verdict being announced but she did not appear before the court,” said Judge Rana. “The PTI founder was sent a message [in his cell] twice but he also did not appear in court yet,” he said, maintaining he had been present in court since 8:30 a.m. “Neither the suspects nor their lawyers appeared” in the two hours prior to the deferral announcement, he said at around 10:30 a.m.
“The decision—fully ready and signed—is present with me today,” the judge asserted, adding he would give the suspects one last chance to attend the proceedings when the ruling is announced.
According to local media, Khan informed jail officials he would only enter the makeshift courtroom once his lawyers and family members were present. It said that Bushra had reached Adiala Jail shortly after 11 a.m. but had left upon learning the ruling was deferred once more.
The Al-Qadir Trust case alleges Khan and his wife secured billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town’s Malik Riaz in exchange for legalizing a Rs. 50 billion sum identified and returned to Pakistan by the U.K. under the PTI-led government.
No deal
Addressing media after the deferral announcement, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan maintained it was not the result of any “deal” between his party and the establishment. “Attempts are being made to give the impression that a deal is being done. There is no deal,” he said, accusing the trial court of acting “unjustly” toward the PTI.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja similarly maintained that the delay had nothing to do with ongoing talks between the party and the ruling coalition. “We will not enter into any deal,” he claimed.
“Imran has said that the Al-Qadir Trust case decision should be announced,” said Gohar. “We can see it written on the walls that we have been repeatedly wronged,” he said, claiming that the party wanted the ruling announced so it could be appealed in higher courts. “The case will be dismissed in the high court,” he claimed.
The PTI maintains that the case is “baseless,” as the funds were secured for a university and did not directly benefit its founding chairman or his wife. The government, however, says it is a “clear cut case of corruption,” and has hinted that an acquittal would be the result of a “deal.”
Apart from Khan and Bushra, property tycoon Malik Riaz, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Bushra’s friend Farhat Shahzadi, and former cabinet members Mirza Shehzad Akbar and Zulfikar Bukhari are among the suspects in the reference. However, all accused other than Khan and Bushra absconded and have been declared proclaimed offenders.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s reference in the case, Riaz’s son transferred 240 kanals of land to Shahzadi, which was received by Bukhari under the Al-Qadir Trust. The trust, alleges the case, came about after Khan legalized the £190 million returned by the U.K., raising doubts about its legitimacy and purpose.