ISLAMABAD: An Accountability Court on Friday sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam, commonly known as the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The Accountability Court Judge, Nasir Javed Rana, while announcing its much-awaited reserved judgment at Adiala Jail’s makeshift courtroom, handed down 14 years rigorous imprisonment with a Rs 1 million and a seven-year rigorous imprisonment to his wife with a Rs 500,000 fine.

The court also ordered the federal government to take the property of the Al-Qadir University Project Trust into its custody.

The jail authorities produced Khan before the court and his wife also attended the hearing. Police arrested Bushra Bibi following the announcement of judgment.

According to the written order, the accused, Imran Khan, is held guilty of the commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices as defined under sections 9(a)(ii)(iv)(vi) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999. He is convicted, and there is no mitigating circumstance, it says.

The order says that Khan is sentenced under section 10(a) of the NAO, 1999, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 14 years and a fine amounting to Rs 1 million, in default whereof to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of a further six months. The convict is also entitled to the benefit under Section 382(B) CrPC, it says.

The judgment further says that the accused Bushra Bibi is also held guilty of the commission of offence of aiding, assisting, and abetting etc as defined under Section 9(a)(xii) of the NAO, 1999. Therefore, she is also convicted, it says.

“Her role is only to the extent of aiding and abetting the offences of corruption and corrupt practices, which is considered to be a mitigating circumstance. She is sentenced under Section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, for rigorous imprisonment of seven years and a fine amounting to Rs 500,000,” the order says.

The court in its judgment ordered that property of the sham trust “the Al-Qadir University Project Trust” is forfeited to the federal government within the meaning of Section 10(a) of the NAO, 1999. Both the convicts shall also face the consequences under Section 15 of the NAO.

The judgment says that the testimony of the prosecution witnesses could not be discredited by the defence side. The prosecution case mainly hinges upon the documentary evidence, which is proved patiently.

In this view of the matter, it can be safely concluded that the prosecution has successfully proved its case against both the accused Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, through the production of cogent, credible, coherent, irrefutable, reliable and confidence-inspiring evidence, it says.

“There might be certain minor discrepancies and contradictions in the prosecution evidence which are but natural in such like cases of white collar crimes,” it says.

The verdict says despite availing convenient and flexible opportunities, the defence remained failed to create any reasonable dent or doubt fatal for the prosecution case. Even the documents got exhibited in the defence are of hardly any value for it, it says.

It says that in view of my findings after appreciation of evidence in this case, both the applications under Section 265-K CrPC filed during the trial by both the accused Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi separately are hereby dismissed and disposed of accordingly. The prosecution has successfully proved its case within the four corners of law, Accountability Ordinance, 1999. Both the convicts are present before the Court, they are taken into custody in this case and be handed over to the superintendent Jail.

The district administration put security on high alert outside the jail and deployed a heavy contingent of police personnel before and after the announcement of judgment to avert any untoward incident.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, while talking to reporters outside Adiala Jail after the announcement of the judgment, said that Khan and his wife were smiling after the court announced the verdict.

“People should not lose heart,” Barrister Gohar said, while quoting Imran Khan.

Gohar Khan termed the judgment as a part of political victimisation. He said that PTI will challenge the verdict in the high court within a few days.

He said that despite the announcement of verdict, Imran Khan said that negotiations with the government will continue, but if there is no progress on the Judicial Commission within seven days, then no further talks will be held.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025