Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Court Hearing Postponed in £190 Million Case
An accountability court in Rawalpindi has postponed the hearing of the £190 million case against Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, until September 7. The court session, led by Judge Nasir Javed Rana, took place in Adiala Jail, where both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present.
During the hearing, the defense lawyer cross-examined the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation officer, Mian Umar Nadeem. The cross-examination will continue in the next hearing. The court also mentioned that the decision on Bushra Bibi’s acquittal plea will be announced along with the final verdict in the £190 million case.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were represented by defense lawyers Usman Gul and Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas. The prosecution team included NAB’s Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and Amjad Pervez.
Imran Khan, who was Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges, including the Toshakhana case, the cypher case, and the unlawful marriage case. Bushra Bibi has also been in jail for several months.
On September 5, Imran Khan warned of street protests if the government tries to undermine the judiciary’s independence. He stated that he has not received any special treatment in jail, unlike other political figures such as Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Asif Zardari, who were given air-conditioned rooms and other amenities.
In a statement shared on social media, Imran Khan said, “I have not spent a single day at the prison hospital. Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Asif Zardari were given air-conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms. One of the prisoners cooks for me, but I have never complained. Only three visits are allowed to meet with me in a week, whereas Nawaz Sharif met with forty people when he was in jail. It was an open house for him.”
He added, “I am kept in solitary confinement and spend 21 hours a day inside my prison cell. My cell heats up like an oven because of the weather, but I have never complained. I am not allowed to speak with my children, although that is my legal right.”
Imran Khan also rejected the government’s claims of providing him with five-star facilities, stating that he has the same conditions as an inmate on death row. He criticized the restrictions on journalists and emphasized his right to speak with the media.
He concluded by saying that his wife, Bushra Bibi, has been unjustly imprisoned for the past seven months and that she is a housewife who never interfered in government affairs.
Doubts Revealed
Imran Khan -: Imran Khan is a famous politician in Pakistan who used to be the Prime Minister. He is also known for being a cricket player before he became a politician.
Bushra Bibi -: Bushra Bibi is the wife of Imran Khan. She is known for her spiritual beliefs and practices.
£190 million case -: This is a legal case involving a large amount of money, £190 million, which is a lot of money in British currency. The case is about whether this money was used or taken in a wrong way.
accountability court -: An accountability court is a special type of court that deals with cases of corruption and misuse of power by government officials.
Rawalpindi -: Rawalpindi is a city in Pakistan. It is close to the capital city, Islamabad.
postponed -: Postponed means that something has been delayed or moved to a later date.
Adiala Jail -: Adiala Jail is a big prison in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, where people who have been arrested are kept.
Judge Nasir Javed Rana -: Judge Nasir Javed Rana is the judge who is in charge of this court case. A judge is a person who decides what happens in a court.
judiciary’s independence -: Judiciary’s independence means that the courts and judges should be able to make decisions without being influenced by the government or other powerful people.
street protests -: Street protests are when people gather in large groups on the streets to show that they are unhappy about something and want it to change.