Verdict in £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case deferred once again

The verdict in £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi was once again deferred and will now be pronounced on January 17 (Friday).This was the third time that the announcement of the reserved decision has been postponed.On Sunday, the accountability court staff had informed PTI founder Imran Khan’s counsel and NAB prosecution team that the accountability court judge will announce the reserved verdict at Adiala Jail.Judge Nasir Javed Rana was present in the courtroom since 9:00 am on Monday but neither of Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi or their lawyers showed up in the courtroom.The judge waited for them until 10:30 am and later it was announced that the announcement of the verdict has been delayed once again which will now be pronounced on January 17. The judge then left the Adiala Jail after announcing the fresh deferment.Earlier the court had deferred the announcement of the verdict in £190 million case twice.On December 23, 2024, the original date the verdict was supposed to be made public, the accountability court postponed its decision in the case until January 6, 2025, due to winter vacations in courts.Then, on January 6, the verdict could not be pronounced as Judge Nasir Javed Rana was on leave.Imran Khan and his wife were indicted in the case on February 27, 2024, shortly after the general elections.In its reference against Imran Khan, the NAB had alleged that the then cabinet approved a confidential deed in 2019 to give £190 million, seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and returned to Pakistan.The Bureau alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra, in return, got billions of rupees and land measuring hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town for “legalising” the money. As per the reference, Malik Riaz’s son transferred 240 kanals of land to Farhat Shahzadi, while Zulfi Bukhari received land under a trust, which the NAB argued did not exist at the time of the transfer.The prosecution further alleged that a trust was created only after the adjustment of the 190 million pounds, raising doubts about its legitimacy and purpose.