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A special accountability court in Islamabad has completed the trial in the £190 million reference case, involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, and has reserved its verdict.
The hearing, held at Adiala Jail on Wednesday, was presided over by Judge Nasir Javed Rana. After the defence counsel finished presenting their arguments, the judge decided to reserve the judgment.
The final session of the trial lasted for approximately eight hours and 15 minutes. Both PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in court during the proceedings.
The court is scheduled to announce its decision on December 23. On Tuesday, the prosecutor for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) concluded the presentation of his arguments in the case.
The final arguments in the £190 million reference case against Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his wife Bushra Bibi were presented in an accountability court, with both sides accusing each other of political motives and misrepresentation.
Defence counsel Salman Safdar, representing Khan, described the case as politically motivated. “This is a reference of political revenge,” he stated, adding that Imran Khan and his wife had been proven innocent in all previous cases.
He further argued that the funds in question were intended for Hassan Nawaz, not Imran Khan, and that the reference was created to target a specific couple.
Safdar emphasised that Imran Khan, even before becoming prime minister, was known for his work as a social worker, collecting billions of rupees in donations.
He claimed that the reference focused on a 50% conflict of interest but argued that the investigation had excluded key details, including the fact that no personal gain or state loss occurred, and that the funds had been brought into Pakistan. He also dismissed accusations that Bushra Bibi had played any public role, noting that she was not a public office-holder.
