Verdict in £190 million case against ex-PM Khan, wife postponed until January

An accountability court in Islamabad has deferred announcing its verdict in the £190 million National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, until January, sources said on Sunday.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana, who had reserved the judgment on Dec. 18, will not visit Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, as initially planned for Dec. 23. Instead, the court will resume proceedings at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad’s G-11 sector next month.

The court communicated to Imran Khan’s defense counsel and the NAB prosecutor that they are required to appear for further proceedings at the Judicial Complex after the winter break. The court will remain unavailable from Dec. 24 to Dec. 31.

The court had reserved its decision earlier this week after hearing final arguments from the NAB prosecutor and Imran Khan’s legal team.

What’s the case?

The case revolves around £190 million transferred to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Prosecutors allege Khan and Bushra Bibi illegally benefited from the funds through the Al-Qadir Trust.

The money, allegedly PKR 50 billion at the time, was part of a confidential settlement between the NCA and the family of Bahria Town’s Malik Riaz and was approved by Khan’s cabinet in December 2019. Investigators claim the later provided 458 kanals of land to the former prime minister and his wife in exchange for legal cover.

In his written response, Khan denied any wrongdoing. He argued that the funds were transferred on the account holder’s instructions, not the government’s, and dismissed claims of financial loss to the state.

“The funds were part of a legal settlement with no involvement or benefit for me or my family,” Khan stated, and added that no facilitation was provided for the transfer of said funds in the account of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

“The same has been transferred by the relevant banks on the instructions of account holders after de-freezing of frozen accounts in the result of an out of court settlement between Malik Riaz family & NCA which is duly endorsed by Mashriq Bank in Supreme Court of Pakistan but investigating officer of this case malafidely withheld the said documents and not annexed with the record,” he said.

“Government of Pakistan just undertook that the clauses of out of court settlement agreement between Malik Riaz family and NCA shall not be public and in this regard government of Pakistan has to sign a deed of confidentiality for which the then SAPM [Special Assistant to the Prime Minister] on accountability and interior was authorized by the cabinet on 03.12.2019 to sign the same after cabinet’s unanimous approval.”

He accused the ruling coalition and the former military establishment of conspiring to remove him from power in April 2022. Khan argued that the corruption charges are part of a broader effort to tarnish his political career and dismantle the PTI.