The court on Tuesday expressed frustration over the absence of their defense lawyer during the hearing of the £190 million reference case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
On Tuesday, the proceedings were held at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. However, Bushra Bibi’s lawyer, Khawaja Haris, could not attend the hearing due to illness, which angered Judge Nasir Javed Rana.
The judge remarked that this delay could no longer be tolerated and warned that Wednesday would be the final opportunity for cross-examination of the witnesses.
The judge reminded the defense counsel’s assistant that while the High Court had halted the verdict’s pronouncement, it had not suspended the trial itself. This means that proceedings should continue uninterrupted.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team raised objections during the hearing, pointing out that the case had twelve defense lawyers, yet only two—Ali Zafar and Intizar Panjotha—were present in court.
Despite the objections, the judge adjourned the case, allowing the defense one final chance to cross-examine the witnesses on Wednesday.
