RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse sought at least a fortnight to answer 79 questions framed by the judge of an accountability court in the 190 million pounds reference.

Last week, the Islam­ab­­ad High Court instructed the trial court to decide the acquittal pleas of Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi in this reference.

The defence counsel ur­­ged the accountability ju­­d­ge to decide these applications first before recording the statements of Mr Khan and his spouse.

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Defence counsel Faisal Hussain Chaudhry emph­asised that the accused should have time to ad­­dress a detailed 79-question document prepared under Section 342 of the CrPC. This section allows defendants to present their version of events, which is critical for their defence. The defence cou­n­sel requested a 14-day extension to allow adequate time for the statement preparation.

NAB’s prosecutor, however, argued that the accused were present in court, and their statements should be recorded without delay. However, the judge adjourned the hearing till Nov 13.

On a petition filed by Noreen Niazi, a sister of Mr Khan, Justice Arbab Moham­mad Tahir of the IHC directed the FIA, police and other relevant authorities to submit detai­led information on all cases registered against Mr Khan by Thursday.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2024