- No proceedings conducted as neither defendants nor their lawyers appeared in court
ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court Islamabad on Friday put off the hearing of the 190 million pounds reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi until July 30, due to the absence of both the defendants and their lawyers.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich presided over the case hearing at Adiala Jail. However, neither the defendants nor their lawyers appeared in court at the scheduled time.
The defense lawyers were absent during the initial hearing, leading to a one-hour delay. Assistant Lawyer Khalid Yusuf Chaudhry later informed the court that senior lawyers were on the way and would arrive shortly.
The court issued a final warning to the defense lawyers and adjourned the hearing without action until July 30.
So far, statements of 34 witnesses have been recorded while cross-examinations of 33 witnesses completed.
Among those who testified was former federal minister Pervez Khattak, who on July 10 recounted that Shehzad Akbar informed the cabinet about funds illegally transferred from Pakistan and confiscated in Britain, which were then set to be returned to Pakistan. Khattak revealed that this topic was added to the cabinet’s agenda as an additional item, with documents presented in sealed envelopes.
Imran Khan, responding to Khattak’s testimony, asserted, “Nawaz Sharif’s flats in London must be handed over to Pakistan.”
Earlier on May 15, a divisional bench of the Islamabad High Court, comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri had granted bail to both Imran Khan in the case.
On July 2, Judge Muhammad Ali Warraich also approved Bushra Bibi’s bail plea in the case.
Last year, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the corruption reference against the former Prime Minister, his spouse, and others. The charges allege that they received land worth millions of dollars as a bribe through the Al-Qadir Trust.
This case, which has garnered substantial public attention, involves allegations of corruption related to the Al-Qadir Trust.
