Islamabad [Pakistan], September 6: An accountability court in Rawalpindi has postponed the hearing of the £190 million case involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, until September 7, according to The Express Tribune.
The court session, overseen by Judge Nasir Javed Rana, took place at Adiala Jail, where both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present. During the hearing, the defense lawyer cross-examined the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation officer, Mian Umar Nadeem. The cross-examination is expected to continue in the next session.
The court also mentioned that the reserved verdict on Bushra Bibi’s acquittal plea would be announced alongside the final decision on the £190 million case.
Defense attorneys Usman Gul and Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas represented the couple, while NAB's Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Amjad Pervez, and others represented the prosecution.
Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, has been detained in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on various charges, including the Toshakhana case, the cypher case, and the unlawful marriage case. His wife, Bushra Bibi, has also been imprisoned for several months.
On September 5, Imran Khan threatened to call for street protests if the government attempts to undermine judicial independence. He claimed he has not spent any time in the prison hospital and alleged that former leaders Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Asif Ali Zardari enjoyed better conditions during their imprisonment.
In a statement on X, Imran Khan said, "I have not spent a single day at the prison hospital. Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Asif Zardari had air-conditioned rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Although one of the prisoners cooks for me, I have never complained. I am only allowed three visitors a week, while Nawaz Sharif met with forty people during his time in jail."
He continued, "Nawaz Sharif even spoke to journalists in the privacy of his room. I am restricted to meetings with just six lawyers and am kept in solitary confinement, spending 21 hours a day in my cell. My cell is extremely hot due to the weather, but I have never complained. I must go to a separate room to bathe. My only complaint is that I am not allowed to speak with my children, despite it being my legal right."
Rejecting the government’s claims of providing him with five-star facilities, Khan said he is treated like an inmate on death row. He criticized the restrictions on media interaction, stating, "It feels as though a Martial Law administrator is in charge. Under what law are journalists prohibited from asking me questions? As the leader of Pakistan's largest political party, it is my legal and constitutional right to engage with the media in an open court."
Khan also claimed that his wife, Bushra Bibi, has been "unjustly imprisoned" for the past seven months, emphasizing that she is a housewife who has not interfered in government matters.
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