Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to contest their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.
They seek to overturn the accountability court’s decision, citing lack of credible evidence and procedural lapses.
The accountability court had sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to seven years on January 17. The verdict, delivered by Judge Nasir Javed Rana at Adiala Jail, followed delays on three prior occasions.
The appeal highlights a UK Court of Appeal judgment from November 26, 2021, which stated that the funds at the center of the case were not proceeds of crime. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had agreed to a £190 million settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, with the funds transferred to Pakistan’s Supreme Court under a legal framework.
Imran Khan’s legal team argues that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) withheld critical evidence and failed to present witnesses or documents from the NCA. They allege that the investigation was reopened in 2023 in bad faith and for political purposes, despite being closed in 2020.
The appeal also contests the validity of a purported confidentiality deed presented by the prosecution, claiming it was unverified and unrelated to any criminal activity. Imran Khan’s lawyers emphasize that no personal financial gain was made, and funds deposited into Al-Qadir University Trust were misrepresented.
Bushra Bibi’s appeal challenges the lack of evidence against her, calling the case politically motivated and procedurally flawed. She denies any involvement in aiding her husband or misusing funds related to the trust.
The appeal accuses the trial court of failing to evaluate evidence properly and alleges that NAB selectively targeted Imran Khan for political reasons while excluding other implicated individuals.
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