£190m case: Accountability court reserves verdict on Bushra Bibi's acquittal plea

• Imran, Bushra attend hearing at makeshift court in Adiala Jail.
• IO couldn't be cross-examined due to absence of Khan's lawyer.
• Contempt proceedings' plea against NAB chairman declared "ineffective".

RAWALPINDI: An accountability court on Wednesday reserved verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi’s acquittal plea in £190 million settlement case.

The incarcerated former premier and his wife are accused of causing billions of rupees loss to the national exchequer in a case also involving a property tycoon.

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana will announce the verdict on Bushra's plea today (Thursday) after the parties in the case concluded their arguments. 

The couple was produced at makeshift court room setup in Adiala Jail owing to security reasons in today's hearing, however, cross-examination of the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) investigation officer was not conducted due to the absence of the PTI founder's lawyer.

Bushra's counsel Usman Riaz Gul gave arguments on her acquittal plea. The anti-corruption watchdog opposed the former first lady's acquittal petition in the case.

Subsequently, the judge declared a request to initiate contempt proceedings against the NAB chairman "ineffective" due to the arguments raised by the prosecution and the defence on the acquital plea.

The couple had secured post-arrest bail from the accountability court in the same case in early July, however, they remained imprisoned due to the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case — at that time.

Later, the duo was acquitted in the iddat case on July 13 but they got arrested in a new Toshakhana reference filed by the anti-graft watchdog.

The former first lady was first arrested in January this year and kept under house arrest at her residence in Bani Gala after she along with Khan convicted in the infamous Toshakhana case related to the illegal sale of state gifts.

The duo's sentence in the reference was suspended by the IHC in April.

Later, she was shifted to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail in May after the IHC approved her plea challenging the house arrest.

In July, Imran and Bushra were acquitted by a district and sessions court in the iddat case.

However, Bushra remains behind bars in other cases including the £190m NCA scandal and a fresh Tohshakhana reference pertaining to a jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince.

What is £190 million settlement case?

As per the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with the property tycoon.

Subsequently, then-prime minister Khan got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

According to the NAB officials, Khan and his wife obtained land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, to build an educational institute, in return for striking a deal to give legal cover to the property tycoon’s black money received from the UK crime agency.