The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has approved the bail application of PTI founder Imran Khan in a £190 million corruption case. The decision was made by a two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. Bail was set at Rs1 million, but Khan will not be released from prison as he is still serving sentences in other cases.
Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were indicted in February by a Rawalpindi accountability court in connection with the Al-Qadir University case. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a corruption reference against them, alleging that they received billions of rupees and land from Bahria Town Ltd. in exchange for legalizing Rs50 billion returned to Pakistan by the UK during Khan’s tenure as Prime Minister.
The court’s decision followed the conclusion of arguments from both the NAB prosecution team and Khan’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa. NAB Special Prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz noted that the trial was nearing its conclusion, with 30 out of 59 prosecution witnesses having testified so far. He indicated that the number of remaining witnesses would be reduced.
The corruption reference alleges that Imran Khan played a pivotal role in the illicit transfer of funds meant for the state into an account designated for land payments by Bahria Town, Karachi. Despite being given multiple opportunities, the accused allegedly failed to provide the necessary information, leading to the freezing of their properties.
Prominent figures such as Malik Riaz Hussain, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari are also implicated in the case. They have been declared proclaimed offenders (PO) after absconding from the investigation and court proceedings. Additionally, Farhat Shahzadi, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert for PTI’s Assets Recovery Unit, were also declared POs.
The reference detailed that the accused had conspired together in corrupt practices, with each playing significant roles in the illicit activities. It emphasized that there was sufficient incriminating evidence to proceed against the suspects.
Imran Khan’s legal troubles have continued to mount, even as he secures bail in some cases. His ongoing imprisonment is a result of other cases, including the cipher case and the iddat case, while his sentences in the Toshakhana cases have been suspended by the IHC.