In a recent development, an accountability court in Pakistan has granted an extension of four days to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the interrogation of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Imran Khan, 71, has been in custody at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since September 26 on various charges, as reported by PTI.
The in-prison hearing was conducted by Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Bashir on Thursday, ordering the NAB to conduct the investigation within the high-security jail and explicitly stating that Imran Khan would not be moved elsewhere. The judge further directed the NAB investigation team and the prosecution to complete their inquiry by the next scheduled hearing on November 27.
This extension follows a series of permissions granted to the NAB, totaling 15 days, to investigate the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case. During the hearing, Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was present in the courtroom, and his three sisters attended the proceedings.
The Al-Qadir Trust case pertains to the handling of 190 million pounds (approximately Rs 50 billion) sent to Pakistan by the UK’s National Crime Agency. Allegedly, during Imran Khan's tenure as prime minister, instead of depositing the funds into the national treasury, the money was used to settle a fine imposed by the Supreme Court. In return, the property tycoon involved reportedly gifted about 57 acres of land to a trust established by Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for the creation of Al-Qadir University in the Sohawa area of the Jhelum district in Punjab.
Imran Khan, who was ousted through a vote of no-confidence in April 2022, has faced more than 150 cases since his removal from power.
