An accountability court in Islamabad has granted interim bail to Bushra Bibi, wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a corruption case. The court heard her bail application in a £190 million case at Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, where Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich presided.
Imran Khan, currently in jail since last August, has faced convictions in some cases ahead of the February general election. However, a UN human rights working group recently criticized his imprisonment as arbitrary and a violation of international law.
Both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi deny any wrongdoing in relation to allegations of receiving financial assistance from a land developer to establish an educational institution. The Deputy Prosecutor General argued during the hearing that there was no need for Bibi’s arrest as the National Accountability Bureau chairman had not issued warrants against her.
The court has adjourned further proceedings until July 5th. Meanwhile, the defence counsel has completed cross-examining three prosecution witnesses out of a total of 27 in the reference. Bushra Bibi remains in prison due to a separate sentence related to the invalidation of her marriage to Khan.
Khan and his political party assert that the charges against him are politically motivated to prevent his return to power. Recently, Pakistani courts have suspended his jail sentences in two cases involving illegal acquisition and sale of state gifts, and overturned his conviction for leaking state secrets. Despite these legal challenges, the former cricket star continues to face numerous other ongoing cases.
