ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a temporary order preventing the trial court from delivering its final verdict in the £190 million case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The court has directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide a response by Wednesday.
The IHC division bench, consisting of Justices Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Babar Sattar, was hearing a petition filed by Khan seeking access to NAB’s previous decision to close the £190 million case.
During the proceedings, notable figures including Salman Akram Raja, Arif Alvi, Shibli Faraz, Ali Muhammad Khan, and Azam Khan were present in the courtroom.
Salman Safdar, representing Khan, argued that the case is still ongoing, with 35 witnesses already having testified and cross-examination of the final witness, the investigating officer, currently underway. He noted that there are eight accused in the case, six of whom are absconding, while proceedings continue against the remaining two, a married couple.
Safdar explained that the allegation against Khan centers on his alleged facilitation of the £190 million transaction during his tenure as Prime Minister. He stated that, according to NAB, the funds were intended to be deposited in a bank but were instead placed in the Supreme Court’s account.
Safdar also pointed out that the reference mentions the Al-Qadir Trust case, which is still active, emphasizing that this is not a “ghost project.”
When the court asked about the registration status of the trust, Safdar confirmed that it is registered. However, the court indicated that it had information suggesting otherwise. Safdar assured the court that he would provide clarification on this matter in the next hearing.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb cautioned Khan’s legal team against using delaying tactics, warning that the stay order on the trial court’s verdict could be revoked if such tactics continue. He stressed that if the delaying tactics persisted, the court would lift the stay order and instruct the trial court to issue its verdict without further delay.
The IHC, while temporarily halting the trial court from issuing a final verdict in the £190 million case, instructed NAB to submit its response by Wednesday, clarifying that the trial itself will proceed as scheduled.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
