Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan sent to 14-day judicial remand in corruption case
Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan sent to 14-day judicial remand in corruption case. The 71-year-old leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, has been held in the high-security jail in Rawalpindi since September 26 in connection with multiple cases.
On Monday, a special court in Islamabad ordered the 14-day judicial remand of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. The court rejected a plea from the anti-corruption watchdog to grant physical custody for further investigation.
Judge Muhammad Bashir of the Islamabad Accountability Court conducted the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, where Imran Khan is presently incarcerated, as reported by The Express Tribune newspaper.
The 71-year-old leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Imran Khan, has been held in the high-security jail in Rawalpindi since September 26 in connection with various cases. During the hearing at the Islamabad-based Accountability Court, presided over by Judge Muhammad Bashir and held in the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi (a co-accused in the alleged ₹50 billion corruption case), Khan’s sisters Aleema Khanum and Noreen Khanum, along with the couple’s legal team, were in attendance.
During the hearing, a robust five-member prosecution team from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was also present, advocating for Imran Khan’s physical remand in the Al Qadir Trust case.
Nevertheless, the judge dismissed the plea and instead ordered his detention in jail on judicial remand for a period of 14 days.
Imran Khan was already incarcerated at Adiala jail in connection with the cipher case when, on November 14, he was once again arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Subsequently, he was handed over to the anti-corruption watchdog on physical remand.
Earlier, the Dawn newspaper reported that a team from Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog had interrogated Khan in jail regarding a multibillion rupee corruption case.
A senior official from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) informed Dawn that their team visited Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Sunday, conducting an interrogation session that lasted for over two hours. The questioning was related to the charges he faces in the Al Qadir Trust case involving 190 million pounds (₹50 billion).
Officials from the anti-graft watchdog have been visiting Adiala Jail since November 15 to investigate Imran Khan’s role in the case.
After today’s hearing, Khan’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, addressed the media, stating that he opposed the physical remand in the case as it was unnecessary. Khosa alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was engaged in “political engineering and political vendetta.”
Khosa also quoted Khan as expressing dissatisfaction with NAB’s interrogation in jail, claiming that the officials spent most of the time engaging in casual conversation. “The chairman says they [investigators] question him for 10 minutes and then indulge in chit-chatting for three to four hours,” said Khosa.
Imran Khan and his wife are accused of acquiring billions of rupees and land from Bahria Town Ltd to legitimize ₹50 billion that was identified and returned to Pakistan by the United Kingdom during the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
The case revolves around the alleged illegal acquisition of land for and construction of Al Qadir University, involving unlawful benefits provided in the recovery of proceeds through the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in a money laundering case against real estate tycoon Malik Riaz and his family.
Imran Khan is also accused of misleading the cabinet by concealing facts related to the settlement agreement. Money received under the settlement agreement was supposed to be deposited in the national exchequer, but it was instead adjusted in the recovery of ₹450 billion liabilities of Bahria Town Karachi (BTK).
The notice served on the accused states that the anti-graft watchdog took cognizance of the commission of offenses of corruption and corrupt practices as defined under the NAB laws.
“In exchange for this illegal and dishonest favor, Bahria Town Ltd provided material and monetary benefits, including 458 kanals (57.25 acres) of land, ₹285 million, buildings, and other disguised donations to Al Qadir University Trust, of which you are one of the trustees. You also signed acknowledgment of donations with Bahria Town,” stated a previous notice from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to Mr. Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 5 following his arrest due to a conviction in the Toshakhana Case.
Additionally, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf announced that Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would appear before a special court on Tuesday (November 28) in the cipher case, where they are accused of violating the country’s secret laws.