PTBP Web Desk
Former Prime Minister and founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in the high-profile £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case. His wife, Bushra Bibi, received a sentence of seven years in the same case. The verdict was announced by Judge Nasir Javed Rana in a makeshift courtroom set up within Adiala Jail.
Alongside the jail terms, the court also imposed fines amounting to Rs1 million on Imran Khan and Rs500,000 on Bushra Bibi. If these fines are not paid, Imran Khan will face an additional six months in prison, while Bushra Bibi will serve an extra three months. Following the judgment, Bushra Bibi was arrested directly in the courtroom, marking a dramatic conclusion to the proceedings.
The case had seen several reschedulings and delays. Initially, the court reserved its judgment on December 18 after both the prosecution and defense concluded their arguments, scheduling the announcement for December 23. However, on that day, the judgment was not announced as expected at the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC), and the next date was fixed for January 6. Due to Judge Javed Rana being on leave, the judgment was further deferred to January 13. This series of delays illustrates the complexity and the high stakes involved in the legal battle.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August 2023, facing a barrage of legal challenges including charges of graft, misuse of power, and inciting violence against the state, following his removal from office via a no-confidence vote in April 2022. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) initiated an inquiry into the Al-Qadir University Trust case in March 2023, which later escalated into a full investigation by April 28.
According to allegations by NAB, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi received substantial benefits, including billions of rupees and land from Malik Riaz of Bahria Town, in exchange for adjusting a £190 million settlement from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) that was meant to be a fine imposed by Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
The trial, which lasted over a year, involved the examination of 35 witnesses by NAB. Key figures testifying included Azam Khan, former Principal Secretary to Imran Khan, Pervez Khattak, former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Zubaida Jalal, former Federal Minister. The defense, represented by PTI lawyers, cross-examined these witnesses.
Apart from Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, several other individuals were implicated in the case:
• Farhat Shehzadi, also known as Farah Gogi
• Shehzad Akbar, former special assistant to the Prime Minister on accountability
• Malik Riaz Hussain, CEO of Bahria Town Private Limited
• Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, former expert on international criminal law at the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU)
• Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, former trustee of Al Qadir Trust
• Ahmed Ali Riaz
This case not only signifies a major legal setback for Imran Khan but also has broader implications for Pakistani politics, highlighting issues of accountability, corruption, and the legal entanglements that can follow political power. The sentencing has sparked debates on judicial independence, political victimization, and the future direction of PTI under such challenging circumstances.
