Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi gets bail in £190 million case

An accountability court in Islamabad granted interim bail on Tuesday to Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a graft case.

Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich heard the pre-arrest bail application of the former first lady in the £190 million case at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi.

Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since last August, was convicted in several cases ahead of the general elections scheduled for February. On Monday, a UN human rights working group declared his imprisonment to be arbitrary and in violation of international law.

Both Khan and Bushra Bibi deny any wrongdoing in the case, which involves allegations of receiving financial assistance from a land developer to establish an educational institution.

During the hearing, Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued that Bibi's arrest was unnecessary, as the National Accountability Bureau chairman had not issued warrants for her arrest. He stated that the bail application was ineffective without the issuance of arrest warrants, reiterating their position from ten months ago.

The court adjourned further proceedings until July 5. The defense counsel has completed the cross-examination of three prosecution witnesses, totaling 27 witnesses examined in the reference so far.

Despite the interim bail, Bushra Bibi remains in prison due to her conviction in another case related to her marriage to Khan, which was ruled unlawful.

Imran Khan and his party claim that the charges against them are politically motivated, aimed at preventing Khan from returning to power.