ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday fixed hearing for March 31 the high-profile £190 million corruption case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
The Registrar’s Office today issued the official cause list, confirming the date after assurances were given during a March 11 chamber meeting to Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for the appellants.
The case, it may be recalled here, stems from the 2019 repatriation of £190 million by the UK’s National Crime Agency — funds traced to Bahria Town tycoon Malik Riaz — which were allegedly diverted from the national treasury into a Supreme Court-linked account. In return, it is alleged that the Al-Qadir Trust, co-founded by the couple, received hundreds of kanals of prime land in Jhelum and Islamabad. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) alleges a quid pro quo, while PTI denies any wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated.
It is also pertinent to mention here that the IHC had previously fined NAB Rs 100,000 for “delaying tactics” after over a year of stalled appeals. The March 31 hearing will determine whether the couple’s sentences — handed down in a lower court — will be suspended pending appeal, potentially paving the way for bail.
