An accountability court in Rawalpindi reserved its verdict on Wednesday in the £190 million reference against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
According to details, Judge Nasir Javed Rana conducted the hearing at Adiala Jail, during which the defence lawyers presented their final arguments. Salman Safdar, representing the defence, argued that the case was an act of political retaliation.
He stated that the accused had been proven innocent in previous cases, and the current reference targeted a specific couple while funds allegedly benefiting Hasan Nawaz omitted him as an accused.
The defence also criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for centring the case around Malik Riaz without including him in the investigation and altering its stance mid-trial. The prosecution, led by NAB’s Amjad Pervez, maintained that the case involved a violation of the 1973 Rules of Business, claiming that any funds or donations received by a public officeholder belonged to the state.
The trial, which lasted a year, recorded the testimonies of 35 witnesses, all of whom were cross-examined by the defence.
Three judges were changed during the proceedings, and 38 hearings were required to complete the cross-examination of the investigation officer.
The accused were given 15 opportunities to record statements under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code but did not present any witnesses in their defence.
NAB also submitted documents referencing rulings from Pakistani high courts and the Indian Supreme Court. The court dismissed the defence's request to summon 16 witnesses as judicial witnesses.
Bushra Bibi secured pre-arrest bail from the trial court, while Imran Khan’s bail was granted by the Islamabad High Court. Both accused were denied acquittal requests, as the trial court was authorised to decide the matter.
The court announced that it would deliver the decision on Monday.
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