3 months ago
12
A Pakistan high court on Wednesday restrained a trial court from delivering its verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust
corruption case
involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife,
Bushra Bibi
. The move comes after the couple petitioned the
Islamabad High Court
to stay the proceedings and sought acquittal.
The
Al-Qadir Trust
case centers on accusations that Khan and his wife caused a loss of over Rs 50 billion to the national exchequer.
An anti-corruption court has been overseeing the trial, where so far, the statements of 35 witnesses have been recorded, leaving only the investigating officer to be cross-examined by the defense.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Amir Farooq heard the plea on Wednesday. Although the bench rejected the request to completely halt the legal proceedings, it granted relief by restraining the accountability court from issuing a final verdict.
Khan and Bibi's lawyers argued that recent amendments in anti-corruption laws make the charges against the former prime minister and his wife invalid. They contended that the approval of the federal cabinet was involved in the matter, and the revised laws make it clear that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cannot investigate decisions made by the cabinet.
"The case does not stand after the new amendments, and we seek acquittal for our clients," argued the defense.
The court has issued notices to the involved parties, and the trial remains ongoing. The case stems from a March 2023 NAB probe into the Al-Qadir University Trust, alleging that Khan and his wife received large sums of money and real estate from Malik Riaz Hussain, a real estate magnate, in exchange for Rs 50 billion. The amount had been part of a settlement with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and later adjusted against a Supreme Court fine imposed on Hussain.
