The long-awaited verdict in the £190 million case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, is set to be delivered today after being postponed three times. The judgment, which was reserved on December 18, 2024, will be announced at 11:30 AM by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed at a makeshift court in Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The court staff has informed the PTI founder’s legal team about the announcement.
This case is one of the many legal battles faced by the imprisoned PTI leader, who has been incarcerated for over a year following his conviction in the Toshakhana case. The previous hearing had been adjourned after the judge expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of the accused, resulting in the postponement of the judgment to January 17, 2025.
Imran Khan had previously claimed that the delays—initially scheduled for December 23, 2024, and again on January 6, 2025—were intended to exert pressure on him. However, neither Khan nor his defense team attended the hearing on January 13.
Al-Qadir Trust Case
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, along with others, are accused in a reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in December 2023. The reference alleges that the couple helped launder Rs50 billion (£190 million at the time) transferred by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan’s government as part of an agreement with a property tycoon.
The deal, approved by Khan’s cabinet on December 3, 2019, involved the tycoon’s black money being legalized, with the funds meant to be submitted to the Supreme Court. In return, Khan and Bushra allegedly received valuable land from the tycoon to establish an educational institution.
The Al-Qadir Trust, based in Islamabad, was established shortly after the approval of the deal.
A Year-Long Trial
Khan was arrested by NAB on November 13, 2024, in connection with the case, and both Khan and Bushra were interrogated for 17 days in Adiala Jail. The trial formally began after the NAB reference was filed in December 2023, and charges were presented against the couple on February 27, 2024.
Several key witnesses have testified against Khan, including his former cabinet colleagues Pervez Khattak, Zubaida Jalal, ex-principal secretary Azam Khan, and the chief financial officer of Al-Qadir University.
The court declared six co-accused, including Zulfi Bukhari and Farhat Shahzadi, as absconders, ordering the freezing of their assets and bank accounts.
The Islamabad High Court granted bail to Khan during the proceedings, while Bushra was granted pre-arrest bail by the trial court. Khan’s request to summon 16 witnesses was rejected.
Over the course of the case, four different judges presided over the hearings, with Judge Nasir Javed currently overseeing the trial.
