Rawalpindi, January 18, 2025: A day after his conviction in the £190 million corruption case, imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan declared he would not allow Al-Qadir University to come under the control of the ruling Sharif family.
His statement came in response to remarks by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who announced that the university “is now under my control” and pledged to offer scholarships to its students.
Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were sentenced to 14 and 7 years in prison, respectively, by an accountability court in Rawalpindi on Friday. The court also ordered the federal government, led by CM Maryam’s uncle, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to take over the Khan-founded university as part of its ruling.
Faisal Chaudhry, Khan’s legal counsel, relayed the former prime minister’s message during a press conference outside Adiala Jail. “We are ready to face all kinds of hardships for true freedom,” Chaudhry quoted Khan as saying. He added that Khan remains defiant, stating, “I will not bow to any pressure.”
The lawyer praised Bushra Bibi for her resilience, noting that she had faced significant challenges solely for standing by her husband. Expressing dissatisfaction with the court’s verdict, Chaudhry argued that the prosecution failed to prove the money laundering charges against his client.
Meanwhile, CM Maryam, speaking at the “Honhaar Scholarship Programme” event at the University of Okara, asserted that “theft has been proven in the Al-Qadir Trust case.” She claimed, “Imran Khan is the first former prime minister caught red-handed committing corruption.”
CM Maryam revealed her plans for Al-Qadir University, saying students would receive both religious and conventional education, along with scholarships and laptops. She referred to a video in which students invited her to visit the university, emphasizing her commitment to their progress.
In a pointed remark, she contrasted her vision for education with the violent actions of PTI supporters. “I want to hand over scholarships to our children, not petrol bombs. Those who were given petrol bombs are now in jail because they were incited to attack police and blindly believe social media propaganda.”
Maryam urged students to focus on contributing to the province’s progress. “Your energy is my strength. To drive development in this province, I rely on your dedication,” she said.
