On Tuesday, an accountability court granted former premier Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi pre-arrest release in a £190 million corruption case.
In December, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a corruption reference against Khan and seven individuals, including his wife, in connection with the Al-Qadir University Project Trust. The complaint stated that Khan and Bushra Bibi earned billions of rupees and land worth hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd in exchange for legalising Rs50 billion that the UK identified and returned to the nation during the previous PTI government.
According to the NAB’s reference, Khan, who is presently in jail, had a “pivotal role in the illicit transfer of assets meant for the state of Pakistan into an account intended for the payment of land by Bahria Town, Karachi”. It further stated that, despite being given several opportunity to justify and disclose information, the accused declined to do so on purpose and with mala fide intent.
Imran Khan and his wife were accused in the case by a Rawalpindi accountability court on February 27, a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued letters to the NAB about the couple’s post-arrest bail petition.
As on March 13, Khan, Bushra Bibi, business tycoon Malik Riaz, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, former accountability czar Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Farhat Shahzadi (also known as Farah Khan), and Zulfi Bukhari had been named as accused in the case. Except for the former premier and his wife, the others have been considered proclaimed criminals.
