ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court on Thursday again deferred framing of charge against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The Accountability Court judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing both the cases at Adiala jail postponed the framing of the charge against Khan and his wife in Al-Qadir Trust case after the PTI founder filed an application seeking change in the legal team for the Toshakhana case.

Jail authorities produced former premier Khan before the court. The PTI founder and his wife’s counsel Barrister Salman Safdar, Barrister Ali Zafar, Sikandar Zulqarnain, and Usman Gull appeared before the court. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) deputy prosecutor general, Sardar Muzzafar Abbasi, prosecutor Amjad Perviz, and Irfan Bola also appeared before the court.

At the start of the hearing, prosecutor Amjad Pervaiz said that the court had to indict the accused in the Al-Qadir Trust case today. The accused had been asked by the court to ensure their attendance but Bushra Bibi has not appeared before the court, he said, adding that the accused is intentionally using delaying tactics in the case.

Khan said that he had not been allowed to talk to Bushra Bibi on the phone. He did not know whether she would come to the court or not; therefore, jail authorities should allow him to talk to her on a landline.

The defence counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the case till January 30.

During the hearing, Khan’s counsel filed an application seeking change in the legal team of his client. The PTI founder included Barrister Salman Safdar and Sikandar Zulqarnain in his legal team. We have more cases and less number of lawyers, Safdar told the court.

The court adjourned the hearing of the Toshakhana case till January 27 and the Al Qadir Trust case till January 30.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024