Islamabad. A Pakistani court on Tuesday charged Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million Al-Qadir corruption case. This is another blow for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail after being convicted in several cases.
Justice Nasir Javed Rana conducted the hearing at Rawalpindi’s high-security Adiala Jail, where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder is currently imprisoned in several corruption cases including leaking of diplomatic secrets.
Khan and his wife Bushra, who were brought to the court, pleaded not guilty after the judge read out the charge sheet in their presence. Khan was arrested in the same case on May 9, 2023 from the premises of Islamabad High Court. His arrest sparked violent protests across the country, with protesters supporting him attacking military installations.
After this, the Supreme Court declared his arrest illegal on May 9.The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had launched a probe in December against Khan, his wife and others in connection with the alleged acquisition of hundreds of canals of land in the name of Al Qadir University Trust, which resulted in a loss of 190 million pounds to the exchequer. .
During the hearing, the court said that the statements of 58 witnesses will be recorded in this case. While framing charges against Khan, the judge asked him whether he was guilty or not. Khan replied, “Why should I read the charge sheet when I know what is written in it?” Following this, both Khan and his wife denied the allegations against them.
