ISLAMABAD: It is doubtful that the Accountability Court will sentence the former prime minister Imran Khan in the £190m case, the verdict of which was postponed for today (Monday) on December 23.
PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are among the prime accused in the case.
The case accuses Imran Khan and Bushra of receiving billions of rupees and land spanning hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd.
This was allegedly in exchange for facilitating the legalization of Rs50 billion, which the United Kingdom had identified and repatriated to Pakistan during the previous PTI government.
The much-anticipated sentencing in this crucial £190m case is unlikely to happen today. Islamabad Accountability Court-I Judge Nasir Javed Rana, along with 160 district and sessions judges from Punjab and Islamabad, is reportedly attending a one-day training at the Lahore Judicial Academy today (Monday).
Advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, a member of PTI’s legal team, referring to the potential delay in the case judgement, said they saw reports on social media indicating that the decision date might have been shifted by 10 to 12 days.
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“However, we have not yet been informed of any change in the decision date. We contacted the court staff, but they too have not provided any information about the change in date”, he said.
“This raises significant questions about our judiciary and legal system, as the accused have not been officially informed of any updates”, he was quoted as saying by media reports.
He stated that regardless of whether the decision is announced today or delayed, the PTI founder’s legal team, along with Bushra Bibi’s representatives, will visit Adiala Jail, where the accountability court is hearing the case.
Meanwhile, the anti-terrorism court (ATC) has also postponed the hearing of the GHQ attack case to Wednesday, January 8. Imran Khan is among several PTI leaders and workers accused in the case.