ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday announced that it will appeal against a court verdict declaring party founder chief Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi guilty of £190 million. Standing PTI leader and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub told the media in the federal capital that they would challenge the verdict in higher courts. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz called the day a “black day” and said the higher courts would dismiss the “baseless” case against Imran. “Thieves roam free in this country while innocent and honest individuals who walk the path of justice are targeted,” Faraz said. He stressed that Al-Qadir University, established to teach and promote the life of the Prophet (PBUH) and Islamic education, did not cause any loss to the government, nor did Khan or Bushra derive any personal benefit from it. Faraz further highlighted Khan’s legacy and cited the establishment of Namal University and Pakistan’s largest network of cancer hospitals. “A person who builds Namal University, someone who establishes a cancer hospital, the largest of its kind in many cities in Pakistan, is punished for establishing Al-Qadir University,” he said. The Leader of the Opposition complained about the state of governance and accountability in Pakistan. “This is a nation where there is no rule of law and no supremacy of the constitution. Those who looted this country now sit as respected individuals while honest citizens struggle with inflation or languish in prison,” the senator said. Faraz reiterated PTI’s commitment to seek justice through legal means: “We will refer these matters to other courts as we have done in the past, whether it was the cipher case, the Toshakhan case or any other that was thrown out by the courts. .” .” “A new dawn will come, God willing.” We remain steadfast and committed to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution and will continue to operate within that framework, God willing,” he declared. 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 has become a tool in the hands of the government. “The NAB investigation [in the Al-Qadir Trust case] is flawed.” “The prosecutor’s evidence contained no evidence of monetary gain, proceeds of crime or financial corruption,” he added. Chaudhry claimed that till date the prosecutor has not filed a single money laundering case, either in a British or Pakistani court, against the PTI founder. He also made personal attacks on the judge and raised questions about his integrity. “This is […] a hand-picked judge who has been declared unfit to be a judge by the Supreme Court,” he said. 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 PTI founder 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.
