TV Report
After delaying the verdict three times, an accountability court in the federal capital on Friday convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million case.
Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana handed down a 14-year sentence to the PTI founder and a seven-year sentence to his wife, while also slapping heavy fines on them during a proceeding held inside a makeshift court at Adiala jail.
The PTI founder will have to pay a fine of Rs1 million and his wife has been slapped with a fine of Rs0.5 million. In case they fail to pay the fine, the ex-prime minister will serve six months more and Bushra three months.
The team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), led by Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Barristers Gohar Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Salman Akram Raja, and other lawyers attended the high-stakes hearing.
Also present at the jail were the wife of the PTI founder, Bushra — who was taken into custody — following the announcement of the verdict, with sources saying that her cell in the Adiala jail had already been prepared.
She along with her already incarcerated husband, were handed over to prison’s superintendent with a committal warrant to serve their sentences. Attested copies of the judgment were also provided to both convicts to enable them to file an appeal if they so desired.
As per the verdict, the former prime minister Imran has been convicted for “corrupt practices” and “misuse of authority”, while the first lady has been convicted for “involvement in illegal activities”. The judge directed the authorities to give the Al-Qadir Trust University in the federal government’s custody.
The court convicted Imran under Section 9(a)(ii)(iv)(vi) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, for corruption and corrupt practices. Meanwhile, Bushra has been convicted under Section 9(a)(xii) of the same ordinance for “aiding, assisting, and abetting” corruption and corrupt practices.
The 148-page verdict mentioned that Bushra’s role was limited to aiding and abetting the corruption offences, which is considered a mitigating circumstance in her sentencing.
It further said that the prosecution’s case was based on documentary evidence, which was found to be credible and coherent, while the defence had been unable to discredit the prosecution’s witnesses or create reasonable doubt in the case.
Both accused had filed applications under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which were dismissed by the court.
The court concluded that the prosecution had successfully proved its case “beyond any shadow of doubt”, and the convictions were upheld.
The Rawalpindi police devised a comprehensive security plan to maintain law and order. The surveillance around Adiala Jail was overseen by SP Saddar Nabeel Khokhar.
