Islamabad, January 17, 2025 – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised serious questions about the credibility of the judicial process in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case, following the sentencing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 7 years.
In a statement on social media platform X, PTI criticized the verdict and questioned how certain journalists seemingly knew the sentences in advance. The party wrote, “Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to the exact punishment that ‘tout journalists’ and their sources had been predicting. How did these journalists obtain a copy of this unjust verdict before it was officially announced by the judge?”
The party’s criticism appeared to be directed at journalist Meher Bokhari, who, in a post on X, had claimed through “reliable sources” that Imran Khan would receive a 14-year sentence and Bushra Bibi a 7-year sentence. Other journalists also made similar predictions on X, sparking PTI’s ire.
PTI’s official account condemned such statements, accusing journalists of exposing flaws in Pakistan’s judicial system. The party alleged that “establishment mouthpieces” were pre-emptively announcing verdicts, reflecting what it described as undue interference in judicial proceedings.
“This undeclared martial law in Pakistan is what Imran Khan is fighting against,” the party stated, adding that its vision is for an independent Pakistan governed by the rule of law, where the judiciary operates without interference from powerful elites and intelligence agencies.
Meher Bokhari responded to PTI’s accusations, asserting that the party expects journalists to serve as its mouthpieces and promote its narrative uncritically. She argued that any journalist who opposes PTI’s stance is unfairly labeled as an “establishment mouthpiece.”
Bokhari also highlighted what she described as PTI’s double standards, noting that the party had welcomed speculative reports from journalists during the Panama Papers case against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “When reports supported PTI’s agenda, they were celebrated. Now, when journalists share views contrary to their position, they face baseless accusations,” she said.
The controversy has once again highlighted the growing tensions between political parties, the judiciary, and the media in Pakistan, with questions over press freedom and judicial independence taking center stage.
