The Islamabad High Court has prohibited the Accountability Court from issuing a final verdict in the £190 million reference, while also issuing notices to NAB (National Accountability Bureau) for a hearing scheduled on Wednesday.
The Islamabad High Court is currently hearing a petition seeking the provision of records related to NAB’s previous decision to close the £190 million £190 Million Reference case and requesting a halt to the ongoing trial.
The division bench, comprising Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar, is hearing the £190 Million Reference case along with the objections raised by the Registrar’s Office. The petitioner’s lawyers, Barrister Salman Safdar and Advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry, appeared before the court.
In addition, prominent figures like Salman Akram Raja, Arif Alvi, Shibli Faraz, Ali Muhammad Khan, Azam Khan, and others were present in the courtroom.
During the hearing, lawyer Salman Safdar stated that the trial against Imran Khan is ongoing, with 35 witnesses already having testified, and the cross-examination of the final witness, the investigating officer, is underway. There are eight accused in the £190 Million Reference case, six of whom have been declared absconders, and the case against two individuals, a husband and wife, is still in progress. The main allegation is that the Malik Riaz family, which has been declared absconders, facilitated the payment of £190 million when the petitioner was Prime Minister. NAB’s case is that the money was supposed to be deposited in the State Bank but was instead deposited in the Supreme Court’s account. This settlement was between Malik Riaz and the NCA (National Crime Agency), where the NCA released the money, allowing them to use it as they wished.
Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb inquired if the NCA had sent the money directly to Pakistan. Lawyer Salman Safdar replied that the NCA did not send the money directly; it was unfrozen and given to Malik Riaz and his family, who then deposited it into the Supreme Court Registrar’s account.
Justice Aurangzeb further asked if the money was returned to Malik Riaz and his family’s accounts. The lawyer explained that the money was directly deposited into the Supreme Court Registrar’s account.
Justice Aurangzeb questioned whether the UK had returned the money to Malik Riaz and his family and who sent the money to Pakistan. Lawyer Safdar responded that the money was returned and sent by the Malik Riaz family. Malik Riaz had given land to the founder of PTI for establishing the Al-Qadir Trust.
Justice Aurangzeb inquired about the location of the university, to which the lawyer replied that it is near Jhelum and is functional.
The Islamabad High Court judge asked if the university was operational, to which Salman Safdar responded that the Al-Qadir Trust £190 Million Reference case is active in the reference and is not a ghost project. The 458 kanals of land, previously owned by Malik Riaz, is now in the name of the university trust.
The court inquired whether the trust was registered, and the lawyer confirmed that it is a registered trust.
Justice Aurangzeb remarked that he had a £190 Million Reference case that indicated otherwise. The lawyer promised to verify and inform the court at the next hearing, adding that the Supreme Court had halted any trial by NAB, and they had conducted the trial even during holidays up to the investigating officer.
The court commented on the burden of ongoing cases, stating that trials happen in one court, appeals go to the High Court, and eventually, the Supreme Court is involved. Salman Safdar mentioned the heavy workload and noted that he had just returned from another £190 Million Reference case.
Justice Aurangzeb asked if the Sarwar Sindhu £190 Million Reference case had been reviewed, to which Salman Safdar responded that the judgment supported their stance.
Subsequently, the Islamabad High Court adjourned the hearing until Wednesday, restraining the trial court from issuing a final verdict in the £190 million case and issuing notices to NAB, asking for a response by Wednesday.
The court also warned that if Imran Khan’s lawyers used delaying tactics in the trial court, the court might withdraw its order.
It is worth noting that on August 16, former Prime Minister Imran Khan filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court to halt the trial in the £190 million corruption case.
In his petition, Imran Khan argued that NAB had recommended closing the £190 million corruption reference during its 343rd Executive Board meeting in April 2020, and the investigating officer admitted certain facts related to the meeting during cross-examination.
The petition filed by Barrister Salman Safdar and Advocate Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry mentioned that the former Prime Minister had filed an application in the Accountability Court to obtain the case record, but the judge dismissed it.
It is worth noting that the investigating officer is the prosecution’s final witness in the case, having testified in the Accountability Court a few weeks ago. However, the defense lawyers were unable to complete the cross-examination for various reasons.
The petition stated that the investigating officer appeared as the prosecution’s 35th witness in the Accountability Court and explicitly acknowledged the 343rd Executive Board meeting and the closure of the case during cross-examination.
It further stated that the minutes of the said meeting are in NAB’s possession and need to be presented as crucial evidence in favor of the defense in the trial court. The petition requested the court to direct NAB to present the relevant records before the trial court and to halt the trial proceedings until the records are submitted.
