Islamabad, March 19, 2025: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have filed petitions in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking the suspension of their convictions in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case.
The petitions, submitted through their lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar, argue that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) misused its authority and that their conviction was based on incomplete investigations.
Key arguments in the petition include that the NAB failed to obtain a declaration from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), a critical omission in the investigation, the NCA officials were not even questioned, weakening the prosecution’s case and the conviction was rushed, and the prosecution did not present complete evidence before the court.
The petitions request the suspension of the conviction and grant of bail to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi until their appeal is decided. They also assure the court that both would be present at every hearing if released on bail.
Earlier, an Accountability Court in Rawalpindi sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Bushra Bibi to seven years in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The verdict was delivered by Judge Nasir Javed Rana at Adiala Jail, where both were present.
Additionally, the court imposed fines of Rs. 1 million on Imran Khan and Rs. 500,000 on Bushra Bibi, ordered six-month and three-month additional imprisonment if the fines are not paid and directed that Al-Qadir University be taken into government custody.
The NAB launched an investigation against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and others, alleging that they gained hundreds of kanals of land in the name of Al-Qadir University Trust, causing a £190 million loss to the national exchequer.
The charges state that Imran Khan and co-accused allegedly adjusted Rs. 50 billion (£190 million) sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government. The NAB later filed a corruption reference against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and seven others in connection with the case.
