• Ex-PM’s lawyer claims no criminal activity proven despite extensive investigations
• NAB prosecutor contends money was adjusted illegally

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Wednesday reserved its verdict in the £190 million corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi. The court will announce its decision on Dec 23.

Accountability Judge Nasir Javed Rana rese­rved the verdict after proceedings on the reference were held in Adiala jail.

Barrister Salman Safdar, representing Imran Khan, and Amjad Pervaiz, special prosecutor for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), presented contrasting arguments regarding the legality of funds linked to Al-Qadir Trust and the corruption allegations.

Mr Safdar argued that despite extensive investigations, including the £190m UK settlement, no criminal activity had been proven. He emphasised that Imran Khan had entered philanthropy before politics and had consistently earned public trust and donations, citing similar trust in Shaukat Khanum Hospital.

He said Al-Qadir Trust was established in an affordable rural area and received funds from legitimate sources, such as the Begum Rukhsana Memorial Trust, not the UK settlement money. He alleged that the case was politically motivated, asserting there was no evidence of illegal financial gain by Mr Khan or Bushra Bibi.

Mr Safdar claimed that neither Mr Khan nor Bushra Bibi had received salaries or financial benefits from the trust. Additionally, Bushra Bibi, a housewife with no public office, was wrongly implicated.

He also questioned NAB’s claim regarding the use of funds before cabinet approval, saying the money had been transferred directly to the Supreme Court’s account, where it remained for years without misuse.

In counterarguments, the NAB prosecutor contended that the £190m was adjusted illegally and should have been deposited into federal accounts, but was instead diverted to a liability account with the Supreme Court. He argued that receiving donations from individuals with pending cases before a public office holder constituted a conflict of interest.

Mr Pervaiz also highlighted discrepancies, such as Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, failing to declare 240 kanals of land in her tax returns and the absence of a money trail for its purchase. He maintained that the illegal approval of financial adjustments reflected an abuse of power and called for accountability for those involved.

Earlier last week, Imran Khan, while testifying before the accountability court, termed the corruption charges against him ‘politically motivated’ orchestrated by his opponents allegedly with the support of state institutions.

The former prime minister accused the ruling coalition and former military establishment of conspiring to remove him from power through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. He alleged that the subsequent corruption charges, including the current case, were part of a broader effort to tarnish his political career and dismantle the PTI.

In its reference against Mr Khan, NAB alleged that the then cabinet approved a confidential deed in 2019 to give £190m — seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and returned to Pakistan — back to real estate tycoon Malik Riaz.

The bureau alleged that Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi, in return, got billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town for “legalising” the money.

As per the reference, Malik Riaz’s son transferred 240 kanals of land to Farah Shahzadi, while Zulfi Bukhari received land under a trust, which NAB argued did not exist at the time of transfer.

The prosecution further alleged that a trust was created only after the adjustment of the 190m pounds, raising doubts about its legitimacy and purpose.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024