RAWALPINDI: A special court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday deferred the indictment of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in a case registered against them for purchasing an expensive Bulgari jewellery set from Toshakhana at a throwaway price.

Judge Shahrukh Arjumand heard the case which was transferred to the special court by an accountability court after the Supreme Court upheld amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance made during the PDM government.

The judge scheduled Oct 5 for indicting the founding PTI chairman and his spouse.

When the court resumed hearing, a junior lawyer informed the judge that the former PM could not appoint the defence counsel and sought time so that he could engage his defence lawyer.

Cross-examination of witness in £190m case remains inconclusive

He sought week-long adjournment, which was opposed by the prosecution team.

Prosecutor Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi pointed out that Mr Khan’s legal team would be visiting him at Adiala Jail, and he could engage lawyers for his defence in the case.

The court then adjourned further hearing to Oct 5.

£190m case

The defence counsel could not conclude the cross-examination of the last prosecution witness in the £190m corruption reference against Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi.

Accountability judge Nasir Javed Rana was hearing the case.

The defence team informed the judge that senior lawyers were in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and requested for an adjournment.

Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned till Thursday (today).

Meanwhile, the IHC exten­ded the stay order issued aga­inst the pronouncement of judgement in the same case.

An IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb extended the stay order till Oct 10 on a petition seeking acquittal of the couple in the reference.

The court could not proceed as special prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz was not available.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...
Rushed legislation
Updated 06 Nov, 2024

Rushed legislation

For all its stress on "supremacy of parliament", the ruling coalition has wasted no opportunity to reiterate where its allegiances truly lie.
Jail reform policy
06 Nov, 2024

Jail reform policy

THE state is making a fresh attempt to improve conditions in Pakistan’s penitentiaries by developing a national...
BISP overhaul
06 Nov, 2024

BISP overhaul

IT has emerged that the spouses of over 28,500 Sindh government employees have been illicitly benefiting from BISP....