The accountability court, hearing the £190 million corruption case, has given a final deadline to the lawyers of Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. The court instructed them to cross-examine the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer at the next hearing. This session took place inside Adiala Jail. Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present.
The court adjourned proceedings until Friday. This was because Bushra Bibi’s lawyer, Usman Gul, was absent due to dengue. The defence team requested a delay, explaining Gul’s illness. However, NAB lawyers objected. They argued that Bushra Bibi had four lawyers, any of whom could have done the cross-examination.
Furthermore, NAB lawyers pointed out that the defence team had earlier obtained an order from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to proceed with the trial. They accused the defence of stalling the case with delays. Even so, the court gave the defence a final chance to cross-examine the NAB officer in the next hearing.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana, who presides over the case, stressed that this would be the last opportunity for the defence. He insisted that the process must move forward without more delays.
NAB prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi opposed the adjournment request. He noted that the defence had already submitted 12 letters of attorney. Therefore, there were enough lawyers to continue the case. He also highlighted that the witness, the investigating officer, had appeared in court 23 times without being cross-examined.
This £190 million case involves allegations that Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, and others misappropriated Rs50 billion, sent by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to Pakistan. The money was part of a settlement with a property tycoon. NAB claims that Khan and his wife acquired land worth billions in exchange for facilitating the settlement.
On September 18, the Islamabad High Court barred the accountability court from issuing a final judgment. A two-member bench, led by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, ordered the trial to continue but paused any final verdict.
On September 7, Imran Khan had filed an acquittal plea, citing a Supreme Court ruling on NAB amendments. However, the accountability court rejected his plea on September 12, after hearing arguments from all sides.
Previously, the defence team had missed a hearing due to commitments in the Lahore High Court. NAB prosecutors accused the defence of using delay tactics to stall the proceedings. The next hearing is crucial as the cross-examination of the final witness must be completed.
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