ISLAMABAD: The federal government Friday said the conviction of former prime minister Imran Khan in the £190 million corruption case was based on merit and is an “open-and-shut case”.

Talking to the media outside Parliament on Friday, Minister for Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the verdict in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case was a merit-based decision grounded in the law. He claimed that the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to establish his innocence.

Flanked by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the information minister stressed that prominent legal experts had also recognised the judgment as “fair and lawful”. He condemned the use of religious narratives to mask corruption, calling it an unethical diversion.

Tarar characterised the Al-Qadir Trust case as a historic corruption scandal, criticising the defence counsel for relying on political rhetoric instead of contesting the case on legal grounds.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar labelled the case “open and shut” and highlighted the unprecedented scale of corruption involved. “This is one of the most heinous acts of corruption in our history,” he said.

In a press conference alongside Law Minister AzamNazeerTarar, the information minister asserted that the case followed the law and that religion card had been used in the proceedings. He confirmed that Imran Khan has the right to appeal the conviction.

Moreover, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has termed the punishment of PTI founder Imran Khan in the £190 million case as a “retribution” and an example of accountability.

Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that today’s judgment proves PTI founder Imran Khan as a certified corrupt politician.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Iqbal said the PTI founder stole an amount of 190 million pounds, which was actually given to the government of Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency.

Ahsan Iqbal said the PTI founder, Imran Khan and the then prime minister, instead of depositing it into the national exchequer, stashed this amount in the Supreme Court’s account, which was opened for receiving the sum of the fine imposed on a property tycoon by the apex court.

He said that PTI leaders are now making negative propaganda by giving a religious touch to exonerate the corrupt founder of their party.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025