Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been indicted in a £190-million graft reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
During the session held in Adiala Jail’s accountability court on Tuesday, an indictment was issued.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana of the Accountability Court pronounced the decision and requested five witnesses to appear in the subsequent hearing slated for March 6.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, the accused individuals, both refuted the allegations against them.
In the prior hearing, the court granted the former prime minister’s plea to meet his spouse, and Judge Rana instructed NAB to furnish two copies of the reference to the defense counsel.
Additionally, the PTI founding chairman sought permission from the judge to consult his dentist for a checkup, citing a lapse of seven months since his last visit.
When advised to consult the jail medic, Khan expressed concerns about potential tooth extraction, prompting the judge to advise him to submit a formal request.
The court deferred the indictment without any further proceedings until February 27.
NAB initiated an inquiry into the Al-Qadir University Trust case, now referred to as the £190 million reference, in March 2023, escalating it to an investigation on April 28.
According to NAB, Imran and his wife allegedly received significant sums of money and extensive land from Malik Riaz of Bahria Town in exchange for Rs 50 billion, which was reportedly paid as part of a settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and was purportedly adjusted to settle a fine imposed by the Supreme Court.
In May, a sizable contingent of Rangers apprehended the PTI chief at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises while he was seeking bail in multiple FIRs filed against him.
Subsequently, the IHC deemed Imran’s arrest on the court premises “legal.”
