ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday welcomed the conviction of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190 million Al-Qadir Trust case as Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said it was an “open and shut case” and the verdict was on merit . An Islamabad court – after adjourning the verdict three times – convicted the PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi in the £190m case. Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana awarded a 14-year sentence to the PTI founder and a seven-year sentence to his wife, while also imposing heavy fines on them. The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will have to pay a fine of Rs 1 million and his wife has been fined Rs 0.5 million. If he does not pay the fine, the ex-prime minister will serve six months and Bushra three months. The Al-Qadir Trust case, commonly known as the £190 million case, involved allegations that Imran and some others in 2019 had embezzled Rs 50 billion – £190 million at the time – sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government during his tenure as Prime Minister of the country. Addressing a press conference chaired by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Information Minister claimed that the case was governed by law and that the religious card was used in the proceedings. Minister Ata pointed out that Khan, a former prime minister, had not presented concrete evidence in court that would have led to his conviction. He emphasized that despite the defense attorney’s political approach to the case, the court’s decision is firmly based on the presented facts. According to the Information Minister, Al-Qadir Trust was established with the intention of laundering black money and the evidence of corruption, bribery and abuse of power was undeniable. “The defense attorney was unable to prove innocence and the case demonstrated clear corruption and bribery,” Ata said, adding that the sentence was handed down in accordance with legal requirements and based on the facts. He added that Khan will have to prove that the sealed envelope was not made in the cabinet, which is part of the legal process. Leading lawyers also said the decision was in accordance with legal norms, he said. Law Minister Azam confirmed that Imran Khan has the right to appeal the verdict. “Thieves Roam Free” Reacting to the verdict, the PTI announced that it had challenged the verdict, with Omar Ayub, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and a senior PTI leader, saying, “We will challenge this verdict in higher courts.” Terming it a “black day”, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz said the higher courts would dismiss the “baseless” case against the PTI founder. “Thieves roam free in this country while innocent and honest individuals who walk the path of justice are targeted,” Faraz said. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Geo News that the decision will be challenged in the Islamabad High Court. He further clarified that this was a case designed for acquittal and emphasized that there was no “justification of conviction”. Akram also alleged that a baseless case was filed against the PTI founder. Speaking to reporters outside Adiala jail, Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry condemned the “political use of NAB” and said the accountability watchdog had become a tool in the hands of the government. “The NAB investigation [in the Al-Qadir Trust case] is flawed.”
