Islamabad’s accountability court, presided over by Judge Muhammad Bashir, rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s pre-arrest bail plea concerning the illicit transfer of £190 million in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Thursday.
Representing Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, attorney Khawaja Haris sought exemption from the hearing. Haris referenced previous Supreme Court decisions and argued for a fair chance to present their case, highlighting their intention wasn’t to delay the process. However, NAB Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi contended that an arrest for one issue doesn’t exempt one from another potential arrest.
Judge Bashir emphasized the court’s commitment to impartial justice. The absence of a warrant for Bushra Bibi was questioned, with Prosecutor Bassi confirming that no immediate arrest orders were in place for her. The court also discussed the case’s current status, with disagreement on whether it had shifted from an inquiry to a full investigation.
Brief of Al Qadir Trust Case
The Al-Qadir Trust case involves allegations against Imran Khan’s cabinet members and real estate magnate Malik Riaz regarding an unlawful land allotment for Al Qadir Trust University. This alleged misconduct was supposedly in exchange for guaranteeing that the confiscated £190 million in the UK would be returned to Riaz in Pakistan. Riaz, recently interrogated by NAB at its Rawalpindi office, was inquired about his ties to the land allotment for the university and related agreements.
