ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday remanded into the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody in the Al-Qadir Trust.
An accountability court rejected the NAB’s request of 14-day physical remand, and approved 8-day remand. Judge Mohammad Bashir presided over the hearing.
Earlier, Imran’s 14-day remand was asked by the corruption watchdog during the Al-Qadir Trust case hearing.
Separately, a sessions court also indicted the PTI chief in the Toshakhana case. Both the hearings were held at the Islamabad Police Lines, which was given the status of a court venue as a “one-time dispensation” late on Tuesday night, amid tight security.
The PTI chairman’s lawyer, Khawaja Harris, opposed the request and said that the case did not fall within the bureau’s ambit. He further said that NAB had not shared the inquiry report either.
“Everyone has the right to a fair trial,” he said, calling for the hearing to be held in an open court. He further said a building had been constructed on the land belonging to Al-Qadir Trust, where people receive education free of cost.
Meanwhile, the NAB prosecutor told the court that Imran was shown the warrant at the time of his arrest. He also assured Imran’s lawyer that the necessary documentation would be provided.
“This is a corruption case which the UK’s National Crime Agency has probed,” he said, adding that the money received was meant to be transferred to the government of Pakistan.
“Instead of the government, the funds that were received were transferred to Bahria Town,” he said.