Today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the bail application of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in a high-profile corruption case involving 190 million pounds. The decision came after a rigorous legal battle, with a two-member bench, comprising IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, weighing arguments from both sides.
The court set the bail amount at Rs1 million, marking a significant development in a case that has garnered national attention. Notably, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team, represented by Amjad Pervaiz, and Imran’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, presented their final arguments in Tuesday’s hearing, leading to the reserved verdict.
The case alleges that Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, acquired substantial sums of money and land from Bahria Town Ltd, purportedly for legitimising funds amounting to Rs50 billion, which were repatriated to Pakistan from the UK during the PTI’s previous tenure. According to NAB, Khan played a pivotal role in the illicit transfer of these funds, a claim vehemently denied by the accused.
The legal proceedings have seen twists and turns, with several prominent figures, including property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Mirza Shehzad Akbar, and Zulfi Bukhari, being implicated. However, some of the suspects, including Malik Riaz and his son, have absconded and were subsequently declared proclaimed offenders.
Moreover, Farhat Shahzadi, a close associate of Khan’s spouse, and Ziaul Mustafa Nasim, a legal expert associated with the PTI government’s Assets Recovery Unit, also face charges in connection with the case. Their properties have been frozen as part of the legal proceedings.
Khan’s indictment, originally scheduled for January, faced multiple delays, highlighting the complexity of the legal process and the gravity of the allegations levelled against him and his co-accused.