Ahead of the verdict in the high-profile £190 million case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif expressed hope that “justice will prevail” as an accountability court was set to announce its judgment today.
Addressing a press conference in Sialkot on Sunday, Asif said that while accusations had been made against past rulers, what transpired during the PTI’s government was “unprecedented”. Commenting on the £190 million settlement case, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader alleged that Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had sent the settlement money to Pakistan. However, the then-premier Khan allegedly used the funds to purchase land and establish the Al-Qadir Trust instead. He asked the national media to investigate whether Al-Qadir Trust was a university or not. “We hope that a verdict will be announced tomorrow and justice will be served,” he added.
Separately, Senator Faisal Vawda has spoken out against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, accusing him of being warned about the consequences of his actions, including legal ramifications and potential jail time.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Vawda recalled advising Imran Khan about the 190 million-pound deal approval, saying, “I warned Imran Khan that a case would be filed, and he would face a prison sentence. I had already predicted that this case would result in a penalty.”
Vawda also criticised delays in legal proceedings, claiming PTI’s leadership had been propagating misinformation.
“There is a punishment for every crime. No one will accept that others benefited from this; you will have to face the consequences,” he added. He further discussed the internal rifts within PTI, claiming that Imran Khan’s own party members were plotting against him.
“For two and a half years, I have been warning that Khan’s relatives are conspiring against him in jail, and now these issues are surfacing on social media,” Vawda said.
He warned that any further incidents could have political consequences that would last for decades.