Islamabad, Jan 14: The court has delayed the £190 million corruption case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, three times.
The verdict, first set for December 23, was moved to January 6 and is now expected on January 17 due to their and their lawyers’ absence.
Despite Judge Nasir Javed Rana confirming that the verdict was ready and signed, both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi failed to attend the court session on January 6.
The judge had expected their presence and noted that Bushra Bibi was aware of the date but still did not appear.
The court has been lenient, offering multiple opportunities for the accused to present their defense throughout the trial. Despite this, the continued absences have raised questions about the delays.
Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, a member of Imran Khan’s legal team, defended the delay, claiming that they had coordinated with court officials for Bushra Bibi delayed arrival, but the judge had already left when the legal team arrived.
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This caused further confusion, as both Imran Khan and his wife missed the opportunity to attend the hearing. The court has since declared several other individuals, including property tycoon Malik Riaz, as absconders due to their failure to appear.
The political implications of the case remain a topic of intense speculation. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan denied any involvement in a “deal,” which some critics have suggested might be behind the repeated delays.
He maintained that the postponement was unrelated to ongoing political negotiations, with both him and Barrister Salman Akram Raja stating that no agreements had influenced the court’s actions. Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, also weighed in, highlighting the discrepancy in timing as the verdict’s announcement seemed to shift unexpectedly.
In a related matter, Bushra Bibi faced legal challenges as a local court rejected her interim bail in connection with three cases stemming from PTI’s November 26 protests.
This ongoing legal struggle reflects the deepening political turmoil in Pakistan, with Imran Khan’s supporters and critics alike keeping a close watch on how the case unfolds in the coming weeks.
