ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court could not indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on Monday in the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir Trust corruption references and deferred it till today (Tuesday) due to absence of Bushra Bibi.
Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing the case at Adiala Jail, postponed the framing of charges against Khan and his wife in the Toshakhana and in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust cases.
Khan and his sisters attended the hearing.
The PTI chief and his wife’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen, Barrister Umair Naizi, and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General, Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, prosecutor Amjad Pervez, and Irfan Bola appeared before the court.
At the start of the hearing, the prosecutor requested the court to indict the accused in both cases.
During the hearing, Bushra Bibi’s counsel filed an application seeking a one-day exemption from the personal appearance before it.
The court later approved Bushra Bibi’s exemption application.
The copies of the Al-Qadir Trust case were provided to the PTI founder during the hearing.
The court could not frame a charge against Khan and his wife due to the absence of Bushra Bibi.
In the Al-Qadir Trust case, the bureau had nominated Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, trustee of Al Qadir Trust; Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi; Shehzad Akbar, former special assistant to the prime minister on accountability and former chairman of Asset Recovery Unit (ARU); Malik Riaz Hussain, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bahria Town Private Limited, Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, former expert on international criminal law ARU, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, former trustee of Al Qadir Trust, and Ahmed Ali Riaz.
Out of eight accused nominated by NAB six accused including Malik Riaz, Shehzad Akbar, Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, Zulfi Bukhari, Ahmed Ali Riaz, and Farhat Shehzadi are absconders.
During the hearing, NAB submitted asset details of the six accused before the court who have been declared absconders.
The court has issued perpetual arrest warrants for the six accused.
Khan while reportedly informally talking to reporters inside the courtroom said “they are conducting an inquiry against him in connection with May 9 violence, which is a conspiracy against us.” Who had stolen the CCTV footage of his arrest from Islamabad High Court (IHC), he questioned, adding that search those people who stole the CCTV footage then everything would become clear.
“I own the article published in the British publication [The Economist]. I did not send the article in writing. I had dictated it verbally, he said when he was questioned about the article published in a British publication attributed to him. Next week, one of my speeches will land in social media. This is the era of artificial intelligence,” he said.
He said that elections should be held at any cost. Elections are mandatory for the country’s economy and political stability, he said, adding that “it has been made difficult for us to contest the elections but despite that elections should be held on time.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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