Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has declared that the conviction of former prime minister Imran Khan in the £190 million corruption case was based on merit and is an “open-and-shut case”. An accountability court in Islamabad – after delaying the verdict three times – convicted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the £190 million case. Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana handed down a 14-year sentence to the PTI founder and a seven-year sentence to his wife, while also slapping heavy fines on them. The PTI founder will have to pay a fine of Rs1 million and his wife has been slapped with a fine of Rs0.5 million. In case they fail to pay the fine, the ex-prime minister will serve six months more and Bushra three months. The Al-Qadir Trust case, commonly known as the £190m case involved allegations that Imran and some others in 2019 adjusted Rs50 billion – amounting to £190 million at the time – sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government during his tenure as the country’s prime minister. In a press conference alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the information minister asserted that the case followed the law and that a religion card had been used in the proceedings. Minister Ata pointed out that Khan, the former prime minister, had failed to present concrete evidence in court, leading to his conviction. He stressed that despite the defence counsel’s political approach to the case, the court’s decision was firmly grounded in the facts presented. According to the information minister, the Al-Qadir Trust was set up with the intent of laundering black money, and the evidence of corruption, bribery, and misuse of power was undeniable. “The defence lawyer was unable to prove innocence, and the case demonstrated clear corruption and bribery,” Ata said, adding that the sentence had been delivered following legal requirements and on merit. He added that Khan would need to prove that the sealed envelope was not presented in the cabinet, which forms part of the legal procedure. Leading lawyers have also commented that the decision aligns with legal standards, he said. For his part, Law Minister Azam confirmed that Imran Khan has the right to appeal the conviction. In response to the verdict, the PTI announced challenging the verdict, with Omar Ayub, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and a senior PTI leader, saying: “We will challenge this verdict in the superior courts.” Calling it a ‘Black Day’, Opposition Leader in the Senate Shibli Faraz said that superior courts would dismiss the “baseless” case against the PTI founder. “In this country, thieves roam freely, while the innocent and honest individuals who walk the path of righteousness are being targeted,” said Faraz. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told the media that the decision would be challenged in the Islamabad High Court. He further clarified that this was a case meant for acquittal, emphasising that there was no “justification for a conviction”. Akram also asserted that a baseless case had been filed against the founder of PTI. Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, speaking to reporters outside Adiala jail, condemned “NAB’s political usage”, saying the accountability watchdog had become a tool in the government’s hands. “NAB’s investigation [in Al-Qadir Trust case] is flawed.”