Court staff says Judge Nasir Javed Rana is on leave.
PTI lawyer and NAB informed of the new verdict announcement date.
This is the second deferment of the case verdict.
Islamabad: The verdict in the £190 million case against PTI founder Imran Khan will now be announced on January 13, confirmed the accountability court staff on Monday, citing the unavailability of Judge Nasir Javed Rana.
The court staff confirmed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor and PTI’s legal counsel have been informed about the new date. This marks the second postponement of the verdict, initially scheduled for December 23.
Case Overview
The charges allege that £190 million sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan was adjusted under a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon. It was agreed that the funds would be deposited in the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.
In exchange, the property tycoon allegedly provided land worth billions of rupees to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi for establishing an educational institute. Subsequently, the Al-Qadir Trust was formed in December 2019.
Year-Long Trial
The accountability watchdog arrested Imran Khan on November 13, 2024, for the said case and interrogated him and Bushra for 17 days. The trial formally began in December 2023, with charges filed in February 2024.
Key witnesses included former cabinet members and the chief financial officer of Al-Qadir University. Meanwhile, the court declared six co-accused as absconders, freezing their assets.
Throughout the proceedings, multiple judges presided over the case. Despite the legal challenges, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to Imran Khan, while Bushra Bibi was granted pre-arrest bail.
