Authorities stopped weekly meetings between Imran Khan and his family members and lawyers, as allegedly such meetings were being used for political purposes. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A supporter of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reacts as he along with others attend a rally demanding his release in Swabi, Pakistan on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

In a relief to Imran Khan, a Pakistani court on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) acquitted the former prime minister and his close aides in a case involving Section 144 violations.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad dismissed the charges, acquitting Khan, Sheikh Rashid, Asad Qaiser, Saifullah Niazi, Sadaqat Abbasi, Faisal Javed, and Ali Nawaz.

Also read | Pakistan court gives 14-page questionnaire to Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi in Al-Qadir Trust case

Sheikh Rashid, the head of the Awami Muslim League, was appointed Interior Minister during the Khan-led government.

The charges, which also included breaches of the Amplifier Act and other regulations, were dismissed by Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mahmood.

The case was filed on August 20, 2022, at Islamabad’s Aabpara police station, alleging violations of public order during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party-led demonstrations.

The dismissal of the case against Khan comes as a kind of relief for someone who has been incarcerated since August last year.

Dozens of cases have been registered against him since the dismissal of his government in April 2022.

File photo of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Bushra Bibi, his wife, speaking to the media
| Photo Credit: AP

A Pakistani court has handed over a 14-page questionnaire to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in a GBP 190 million settlement case.

The questionnaire, which contains 79 questions related to the Al-Qadir Trust case, was provided for Khan and his wife’s final statements, The News International newspaper reported on Sunday (November 10, 2024).

Also read | Toshakhana corruption case: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi’s remand extended by 11 days

It is alleged that Khan and his wife caused a loss to the tune of GBP 190 million or over PKR 50 billion while facilitating a property tycoon.

Khan’s counsel Salman Safdar received the questionnaire in the presence of both the accused in the last hearing. The couple was directed to submit their responses to the court on Monday.

In the questionnaire, the accountability court in Rawalpindi asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder whether he and his associates illegally obtained “monetary benefits” — which include land measuring 458 kanals (57.25 acres) — and, in return, facilitated the “illegal and dishonest transfer/adjustment of GBP 171.159 million out of GPB 190 million, meant for the State of Pakistan”.

The court while citing evidence said co-accused Shahzad Akbar — former special assistant on accountability — “in-connivance and active knowledge” of Khan floated a note dated December 2, 2019, to the deposed Prime Minister.

Seeking his response, the court stated: “The note contained misrepresented information, implying that funds frozen in the U.K. were to be surrendered to the State of Pakistan, mischaracterising the land purchase agreement as a fine and knowingly misrepresented that Supreme Court account was being operated for the benefit of State of Pakistan.” Furthermore, the accountability court said, “It is in the evidence that the jailed politician, being a prime minister, dishonestly instructed for placing the note as additional agenda without prior circulation in violation of rules of business, 1973 even though your co-accused Shahzad Akbar with your active connivance and under your influence had already dishonestly and for ulterior motive signed and submitted the confidential deed to the National Crime Agency UK on Nov 11, 2019.”

In the November 7 hearing, lawyers for Khan and Bushra completed the cross-examination of the last and 35th witness at Adiala jail, taking the case conclusion to the final stage.

As per the charges of the case, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted PKR 50 billion sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of an agreement with a property tycoon.

Subsequently, the then-Prime Minister Khan got approval for the settlement with the U.K. crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

According to the NAB officials, the PTI founder and his wife obtained land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, to build an educational institute, called Al-Qadir University operated by the Al-Qadir Trust of which Khan and Bibi are trustees, in return for striking a deal to give legal cover to the property tycoon’s black money received from the U.K. crime agency.

Security officers escort Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan as he appeared in Islamabad High Court, Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 12, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s jail detention related to charges of leaking state secrets was extended for another two weeks, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

The jail custody has been extended until September 26, his lawyer Naeem Panjutha said in a post on X messaging platform, formerly Twitter.

Khan has been in prison since early August, having earlier been convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to three years.

A high court last month suspended his sentence, but a prior order for his remand in custody in the state secrets case prevented his release.