A special court judge, Nasir Javed Rana, at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Friday sentenced Imran Khan to 14 years and Bushra Bibi to seven years in the 190 million-pound reference (Al-Qadir Trust case), while opposition leader Omar Ayub announced he would challenge the verdict.
According to Pakistan Television, Imran Khan has also been fined one million rupees and Bushra Bibi five hundred thousand rupees, and the court has ordered Al-Qadir University to be taken into government custody. Judge Nasir Javed Rana of the Islamabad Accountability Court arrived at Adiala Jail to pronounce the reserved verdict in the 190 million-pound case; once the attendance of the accused was confirmed, the honorable judge announced the decision.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana also imposed a fine of one million rupees on PTI founder Imran Khan and five hundred thousand rupees on Bushra Bibi. In case of non-payment, Imran Khan will face an additional six months in jail, while Bushra Bibi will face an additional three months.
Bushra Bibi Arrested in the Courtroom!
The court ordered the Al-Qadir University land to be taken into government custody. Following the pronouncement of the sentence, Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife, was arrested in the courtroom.
Before the hearing of this important case, Imran Khan was brought to the courtroom from prison, and his wife Bushra Bibi also arrived. Before their arrival, three members of the NAB prosecution team—Irfan Ahmad, Suhail Arif, and Owais Arshad—reached Adiala Jail. Defense counsel Salman Akram Raja and Bushra Bibi’s daughter and son-in-law were also present in the courtroom.
Media representatives were invited to attend the hearing. Strict security measures were in place outside the jail, including elite commandos. For the duration of the hearing, the police cleared the area in front of Adiala Jail’s outer wall and removed all vehicles parked nearby.
“If a fair verdict is given, Imran Khan will be released”: Barrister Gohar
Before the announcement of the verdict in the 190 million-pound case, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and party leader Shoaib Shaheen also arrived at Adiala Jail.
Speaking to media representatives on this occasion, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar said that the verdict of the 190 million-pound case would not be postponed today. “We have come prepared and are ready to hear whatever decision is announced,” he said.
He added, “You can imagine the extent of the injustices we have faced over the past two years. If a fair verdict is given, the PTI founder Imran Khan will be acquitted and released from Adiala Jail.”
It is noteworthy that after both parties concluded their arguments, the court reserved its verdict in the 190 million-pound case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on December 18. Subsequently, the decision was postponed three times, and the announcement date was changed.
Initially, the verdict announcement date in the 190 million-pound case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi was set for December 23, then January 6, then January 13, and later January 17.
A total of 35 witnesses were presented during the reference hearing, while 24 were dropped. Six individuals named in the reference, including Barrister Shehzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari, and others, have been declared absconders.
In the 190 million-pound reference, it is alleged that corruption money was adjusted against a private housing society’s penalty, causing a loss to the national treasury. The case further alleges that facts were concealed from the federal cabinet to secure forced approval.
