Imran Khan accused of facilitating controversial settlement in Al-Qadir Trust Case
Imran Khan’s £190 Million Case Verdict to Be Announced on January 13. The verdict in the £190 million case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan is set to be announced on January 13, 2025, according to a staff member of Islamabad’s accountability court. The decision was delayed once again as the presiding judge, Nasir Javed Rana, is on leave. The delay has been communicated to both the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor and the PTI defense lawyer.
This marks the second time the verdict, originally reserved on December 18, has been deferred. It was initially scheduled to be announced on December 23, 2023, but was delayed again. Khan, along with his wife Bushra Bibi and others, faces accusations from the NAB regarding a deal that allegedly caused a loss of £190 million to the national treasury. The charges center around a settlement between the PTI government and a prominent property tycoon.
The case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, involves allegations that Khan, as prime minister, approved a controversial settlement in 2019 involving the transfer of funds from Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan‘s government. NAB claims that Khan and others facilitated the tycoon’s legal cover for black money received from the NCA and in return, received land worth billions of rupees, which was to be used to build an educational institute.
A significant part of this legal saga is the establishment of the Al-Qadir Trust in Islamabad shortly after the approval of the deal. NAB has accused Khan and his wife of benefiting personally from this arrangement.
The trial, which began in December 2023 following NAB’s reference, has seen multiple delays and changes in judges. The case has been a major part of the growing list of legal challenges faced by the incarcerated PTI leader, who has been behind bars since August 2023 after being convicted in the Toshakhana case.
Notable figures, including former cabinet members Pervez Khattak and Zubaida Jalal, as well as ex-principal secretary Azam Khan, have testified against Khan in the trial. Several other co-accused, including Zulfi Bukhari, Farhat Shahzadi, and Mirza Shahzad Akbar, have been declared absconders, with their assets frozen by the court.
Despite his detention, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to Khan in the £190 million reference, and Bushra Bibi was also granted pre-arrest bail by the trial court.
As the case continues to unfold, all eyes will be on the court’s final verdict scheduled for January 13.
