IHC bars trial court from announcing final verdict in £190m case

Islamabad High Court (IHC) restrained the trial court on Wednesday from announcing the final verdict in the £190 million case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.

The IHC issued the order after hearing the acquittal petition of the former prime minister and his wife in a corruption case.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, heard the petition.

The petitioners requested to stop the local court from trial until the case was pending in the high court.

The court has directed the counsels of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi to submit the relevant documents and adjourned the hearing till September 26 while issuing notices on the acquittal petitions.

It should be noted that the accountability court had rejected the petition of the PTI founder and his spouse in the £190 million case.

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 were among the suspects in this reference.