ISLAMABAD: Legal woes of incarcerated ex-premier and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan have further deepened, as an accountability court on Friday sentenced him and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 years and seven years imprisonment respectively in the case of 190 million pounds scam.
The court also slapped a fine of Rs1 million on the PTI founder and Rs0.5 million on Bushra Bibi, and in case of failure to submit the fine, Khan would face additional six-month imprisonment and Bushra Bibi three months.
The ex-premier has been convicted for “corrupt practices” and “misuse of authority”, while former first lady for “involvement in illegal activities”, according to the judgment. The court also ordered authorities to confiscate and take control of Al-Qadir University.
The verdict which was reserved on December 18, 2024 and its announcement was deferred multiple times was announced by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana. PTI founder and Bushra Bibi appeared before the court. Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, and Bushra Bibi’s daughter and son-in-law were also present. Bushra Bibi was taken into custody from the courtroom after the pronouncement of the judgment.
A total of 35 witnesses were presented before court against the accused. The court had declared other co-accused including Barrister Shahzad Akbar and Farhat Shehzadi (Gogi) as proclaimed offenders.
The 190 million pounds case involves a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against former prime minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and others in December 2023. The case revolves around an alleged settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to Pakistan’s national exchequer.
Khan and the other accused were alleged to have misused 190 million pounds sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of the settlement. Bushra Bibi was named an accused for her role as a trustee of the Al-Qadir Trust. During Khan’s tenure, the NCA seized 190 million pounds worth of assets from the tycoon.
The assets were meant to be handed to Pakistan, with the settlement deemed a civil matter by the NCA. However, the details of the confidential agreement were not disclosed when Khan’s cabinet approved it in December 2019. Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was established in Islamabad.