Pakistan’s top accountability watchdog requested additional time from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday to appoint a special prosecutor in response to a petition filed by PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, seeking suspension of their sentences in the £190 million case.
The development comes nearly five months after the couple filed their application for sentence suspension on January 27, following their convictions on January 17. Imran was handed a 14-year sentence, while Bushra Bibi received a 7-year term after a trial held in Adiala Jail.
The IHC had directed NAB to submit its response at Thursday’s hearing.
However, during the proceedings at the IHC today, NAB prosecutor Rafay Maqsood informed the court that he had received the notice for the hearing only the night before.
“The special prosecutor who represented NAB in the trial court, Amjad Pervez, is now the Advocate General of Punjab,” Maqsood told the court. “We are in the process of appointing a new special prosecutor, which requires a formal notification from the federal government. We request the court to grant us three to four weeks for this process.”
In response, Barrister Salman Safdar, counsel for Imran and his spouse, expressed disappointment. “It surprises me to hear that NAB’s prosecutor only learned about today’s hearing last night. This date was fixed after repeated requests,” he said.
Safdar argued that three judgments had been issued against his clients by the NAB Accountability Court in Adiala Jail, all of which he claimed would not hold up in the IHC.
He also cast doubt on the £190 million case judgment, alleging that its content and timing were leaked in advance to certain journalists who accurately reported the decision before it was officially announced.
Highlighting Bushra Bibi’s position in the case, he added: “She was only accused of aiding and abetting, and there is no evidence against her. This case could have at least granted her bail today.”
After hearing the arguments, Acting Chief Justice of IHC Sarfraz Dogar directed NAB to appoint a new special prosecutor and submit a reply on the petition by June 11, after Eid. The court adjourned the hearing until that date.
'Imran unlikely to come out of jail before September'
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, criticized the delay, telling Nukta that NAB’s request should have prompted the judge to take immediate action. “Our lawyer said the judge should have ordered the prosecutor general of NAB to appear in court within two hours,” she said.
Aleema expressed skepticism about the next hearing as well, saying, “On June 11, the newly appointed prosecutor will likely tell the court, 'I’ve just been appointed and need time to study the case file.’ It’s guaranteed Imran Khan won’t come out of jail before September.”
Barrister Safdar echoed this concern while talking to Nukta, saying that it had become “impossible” to get hearings fixed and that the process was being “frustrated by the state”.
“The entire world knew about today’s hearing, yet the prosecution’s conduct shows a pattern,” he claimed.
“When the state anticipates a decision going against them, they avoid the court. It’s clear that Imran and Bushra will likely be granted bail in the next hearing, the convictions quashed, and the judgment suspended. Judges should reject such delaying tactics and take a firm stand.”
What is the £190 million case?
The case revolves around £190 million transferred to Pakistan by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Prosecutors allege that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi illegally benefitted from the money through the Al-Qadir Trust.
The funds were part of a confidential settlement between the NCA and a prominent business family. In December 2019, Khan’s cabinet approved the settlement. Investigators claim that, in exchange for facilitating the deal, a large piece of land -- 458 kanals (approximately 22.7 hectares) -- was granted to Khan and Bushra.
Khan, however, denies any wrongdoing. In a written statement, he asserted that the funds were transferred on the account holder’s instructions, not by the government, and dismissed allegations of causing financial loss to the state.
“The funds were part of a legal settlement, and neither I nor my family benefitted from them,” he stated. He also emphasized that no special facilitation was given for transferring the funds to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s account.
Khan further argued that the transaction stemmed from an out-of-court settlement between the business family and the British agency.
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