Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister, has received a 20-day bail in the infamous £190 million settlement case from an accountability court in Islamabad.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed Khan to pursue his bail from an accountability court. Simultaneously, the high court granted him a 10-day bail in a case related to the violation of Section 144.
Earlier, Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, attended an accountability court session at the federal judicial complex to extend her bail in the settlement case. However, the court resolved her plea and permitted her to leave.
The graft case revolves around a settlement between the PTI government and a real estate mogul, allegedly resulting in a loss of £190 million to the national treasury. Khan, his wife, and several PTI leaders are under scrutiny from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for their involvement.
Following today’s hearing, the accountability court judge granted bail to Khan, valid till June 19, against surety bonds worth Rs500,000. In another hearing regarding the violation of Section 144, Khan’s bail was extended for 10 days. However, if he fails to follow the court’s directives, his interim bail in the graft case will expire on Monday, June 9.
While at the accountability court, Bushra Bibi was informed that she is not currently required for arrest, allowing her bail plea to be dismissed.
Special passes were issued to certain individuals to ensure smooth proceedings at the IHC. However, this requirement did not include IHC’s employees and court staff.
The settlement case originated from £140 million discovered in 2019 in an account linked to a prominent Pakistani real estate tycoon’s son and wife.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) promptly froze the funds over suspected criminal origins and ultimately returned them to Pakistan’s government. This led to an agreement to transfer land and cash to the Al-Qadir Trust, whose trustees included Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and his senior advisers.
