Verdict against Khan, wife in £190m case postponed for third time

The verdict in the multi-million-dollar reference case against Pakistan's former prime minister and main opposition leader, Imran Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, was postponed for the third time on Monday.

The Islamabad-based accountability court said that the verdict was delayed after the former premier and his wife did not appear in court.

However, Khan’s legal team claimed they were told that the verdict was set to be announced at 11 a.m.

The proceedings

Judge Nasir Javed Rana arrived in the makeshift courtroom at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail at 8:30 a.m., where the prosecution team was already present. However, Khan, who is in custody at the same facility, declined to attend despite being summoned twice by jail staff.

"I’ve been here since 8:30 a.m. and sent the jail staff twice to bring him (Imran Khan), but he insisted he would not appear without his family and lawyers," Judge Rana told journalists. The judge adjourned the hearing until January 17, citing the accused’s absence.

Judge Rana also clarified he had not written the verdict earlier due to other commitments, including training at the Lahore High Court on January 6. "I cannot announce the judgment in the absence of the accused," he said.

Family, legal team barred from courtroom

Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, who was present outside the jail, expressed frustration over the repeated delays. "Sometimes the Al-Qadir Trust case doesn’t even start before 11:30. Today, we were informed the verdict would be announced at 11:00 a.m., but the judge arrived early and left at 10:30," she told Nukta.

Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, did not attend the hearing, while Aleema Khan and other family members were reportedly denied entry into the courtroom.

"Khan would've been upset about today. He’s been waiting for this verdict for a month so he can move to the next forum for appeal," Aleema said, adding that the situation has drawn international attention.

PTI questions delays

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan questioned the sudden change in schedule and criticized the jail authorities for failing to produce Khan on time. "The family and I were at the gate, but the judge still postponed the verdict," Gohar said. He also noted it is unusual for hearings in this case to start as early as 8:30 a.m.

When asked if the verdict could legally be announced in the absence of Khan’s legal team, Gohar affirmed it was permissible but maintained, "It’s written on the wall that the verdict will be against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi."

Gohar expressed confidence in higher courts overturning any unfavorable decision, emphasizing that the state suffered no financial loss from the Al-Qadir Trust project. "This is the first time trustees are being targeted for establishing a charity trust," he added.

Salman Akram Raja told Nukta that this third time postponement is very unusual. "They are trying to create the impression that backdoor negotiations for a deal are behind this delay. We will fight our cases in court of law and court of people," he said.

Raja reiterated that neither Imran Khan nor Bushra Bibi benefited financially from the Al-Qadir Trust University. "We are negotiating with the government for democracy, justice, and human rights, not for a deal," he said.

The repeated delays have drawn criticism from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, with many viewing them as a tactic to pressure Khan and his party. The verdict is now expected to be announced on January 17.