Court rejects Imran Khan’s acquittal plea in £190m corruption case

An accountability court in Islamabad on Thursday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's petition, seeking acquittal in a £190 million corruption case.

The hearing of the case was held at Adiala jail, where Judge Nasir Javed Rana presided over the case.

The court ordered Khan’s councels to cross-examine with the investigation officer.

Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were indicted in the case by the Rawalpindi accountability court in February.

On December 1, the Nab had filed a corruption reference against Imran and seven other members, including his wife, in connection with Al-Qadir University.

In this case, Imran and Bushra were accused of obtaining billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of canals from a private builder for legalising Rs50 billion. 

According to the reference, the property had been bought from the money returned to the country by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

“Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi played a pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state of Pakistan into an account designated for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi,” the reference stated.

Property tycoon, his son, former special assistant of prime minister Zulfi Bukhari, and Bushra Bibi’s friend Farhat Shehzadi had been among the suspects in this reference.